Inmarsat has announced the commercial availability of the world's first communication service that doubles current mobile data rates, breaks current mobile communication's geographical constraints and brings flexible and cost-efficient broadband access to 99 countries in the Middle East, Europe, Northern and Central Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.

The service, Inmarsat Regional BGan (Broadband Global Area Network), allows businesses, governments and users on the move to have access to up to 144kbit/s from virtually anywhere and via a light satellite modem the size of a laptop computer, Inmarsat said in a statement.

Samer Halawi, regional director for Inmarsat, said: 'Together with its ease of mobility and user flexibility, Regional BGAN overcomes geographical and speed restrictions of current mobile data services. It is truly the first practical and successful implementation of GPRS services via satellite.'

He added: 'It is truly a quantum leap in the delivery of cost-effective, reliable, high-speed wireless data services via satellite which enables users to operate without the constraints of terrestrial networks.'

Inmarsat Regional BGan is based on GPRS technology. The service allows businesses and governments to have access in the satellite footprint to mobile broadband services where there are no reliable high-speed data networks available. It enables remote access to corporate networks, to the Internet, to email, to virtual private networks and to file transfers. 'With the launch of Inmarsat Regional BGan, the idea of the mobile office has become a reality, providing freedom and flexibility for the increasingly large number of businesses and individuals who are on the move,' said Halawi.