Inmarsat FleetBroadband Races Round the World with Flawless Performance

LONDON, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Live transmissions from boats enabled by Inmarsat FleetBroadband
• Bringing the action from final leg on Monday 2nd July and Tuesday 3rd July
• Live streaming available on http://www.volvooceanrace.com

As Race Partner of the Volvo Ocean Race, leading global mobile satellite service provider Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L) has supplied its full suite of services to the world's most demanding round-the-world sailing race. According to Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad, it has "performed flawlessly, throughout".

Each of the six VOR 70 boats has travelled some 39,000 nautical miles, at speeds of up to 30 knots in winds exceeding 50 mph. Inmarsat's FleetBroadband 500 (FB500), FB150 and Inmarsat C services have performed with 100% reliability in the most extreme conditions. For the first time, rescue packs onboard each of the boats contained an IsatPhone Pro handheld satellite phone, chosen for its resilience and reliability.

As the six boats head for the finish line in Galway, each is making ground-breaking live transmissions - transforming once again how ocean racing can be delivered to billions of fans around the world.  The Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard each boat is participating in the final leg transmissions which go out today, Monday 2nd July, at 1800-2100hrs UTC and Tuesday 3rd July, at 0900-1200hrs UTC and 1800-2100hrs UTC.

Rick Deppe, previous winner of the Inmarsat Media Crew Member Prize for his work on Puma Ocean Racing, manages the six media crew members for Volvo Ocean Race. He believes that, "we have only just scratched the surface of what's possible in the Volvo Ocean Race".  Deppe continues: "At the start of this race we couldn't imagine the type, volume and quality of content that would be coming from the yachts. So reliable is Inmarsat's FleetBroadband system that each MCM can stream live video from the boats at any time of the day or night in just about any condition with absolute confidence.  This technology opens up a host of creative communication possibilities to Volvo Ocean Race and our sponsors. We hope to use Inmarsat's new Global Xpress satellites to continue the sport's transition to a global spectator experience for the 2014 race."

As the fleet approaches the coast of Ireland the wind is expected to drop, slowing the fleet upwind for a short time before the angle to the wind improves. There will be one critical manoeuvre before the fleet can head towards the finish line in Galway. The latest ETA for the arrival of the first team in Galway is between 0300 and 0500hrs UTC.

Live streaming can be found on http://www.volvooceanrace: TODAY, Monday 2nd July, at 1800-2100hrs UTC and Tuesday 3rd July, at 0900-1200hrs UTC and 1800-2100hrs UTC.

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services.  Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air.  Inmarsat employs around 1,500 staff in more than 40 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centres of commerce on every continent. For the year ended 31st December 2011, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of US$1,409 million and an EBITDA of US$854 million. Inmarsat is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:ISAT.L). For more information, please visit http://www.inmarsat.com.

SOURCE Inmarsat plc