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BGAN update:

As of late August, BGAN prices for hardware and service are changing.  HumaniNet is working with our service partners to arrange favorable pricing for humanitarian and mission organizations.

RBGAN users should know that their service will be discontinued at the end of 2008, earlier in South and Central America. 

Please inform us if you are looking for BGAN terminals or service, so that we can put you on our list for new offers as they become available. 

Also, the third Inmarsat I4 satellite was launched successfully on August 19.  It will provide BGAN service over the Pacific, East Asia, and other areas. 

For additional information, please contact us at info (at) humaninet.org.   Please include your organization and location in your email, and whether you are currently using an RBGAN, BGAN, or a satphone.  We will reply within three business days.

Please see our home page and ICT Features section for more on the BGAN terminals. 

Vizada now offers the Hughes 9201 BGAN terminal for $2250, and the Addvalue Sabre 1 for $1100.  Please see our article on the Sabre 1.

We have begun testing of the "Loband" service (www.loband.org) as a way for BGAN and RBGAN users to view Web pages with graphics and pictures removed, leaving text only.  Please let us know if you have used Loband, and if it worked for you.

Please contact info (at) humaninet.org for more information.  

Iridium satellite phones available at discount

We have found a source of very affordable Iridium phones for $599 (used, with spare battery and 30 day warranty) and $899 (new, with one year warranty).   

These are the 9500 model phones, which have proven to be very reliable and which can be used for email and text messaging.  Current RBGAN owners who are looking for an alternative for field email before the RBGAN service is discontinued at the end of 2008 should consider the 9500 phone with data kit connection to the laptop.

These units are the most affordable option we have found for voice plus email and text messaging in remote locations.  Airtime rates are the lowest ever, from 66 to 83 cents per minute in some regions. 

Please contact us at info (at) humaninet.org for more information.

HumaniNet has a small number of Iridium satphones available for loan to qualifying humanitarian and mission teams.  Please contact info (at) humaninet.org.

Compressing your email, Saving $.  If you depend upon remote satellite or HF radio services for your email, you may have heard of "compression" and asked: how does it work, and how does it help? Read more and learn about the popular UUPlus solution.

New BGAN product lineup.  There are now six different BGAN models available, and prices are coming down (although slowly).  See the lineup on the Inmarsat BGAN terminal Web page.  For an overview of BGAN, click here.

Note that the Nera company has been purchased by Thrane & Thrane, so the earlier Nera BGAN is now the Thrane Explorer 110, with some technical improvements. 

For more information and pricing of mobile satellite services, contact us at info (at) humaninet.org and include your organization, region of interest, and general requirement for field communications.  Thank you.

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RBGAN and BGAN reports

New article - RBGAN and BGAN users will find this helpful:

"Holding down usage over RBGAN and BGAN - 11 tips for controlling your costs," by Eric Hoenigmann and Mike Bizub, one of our ICT Features for August 2007.

RBGAN service to continue only through 2008 - but stay tuned . . .

In late 2006, we announced that Inmarsat plans to discontinue RBGAN service as of end 2008.  It is unlikely that this service will be extended, as Inmarsat is promoting the BGAN as a single worldwide solution for mobile satellite. 

Wireless Networking in the Developing World

Imagine trying to piece together a wireless network with no manuals, sporadic and slow access to the Internet, inadequate tools, a shortage of supplies, and in the most inclement weather. A recently published book, "Wireless Networking in the Developing World," is a highly regarded resource for solving these problems.  You can access this book in PDF form, at no cost, at http://wndw.net/news.html.

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