Our ground network

Strategically located ground network

All connections are routed from the customer’s satellite phone or data terminal via our satellites and through Inmarsat’s ground network – a nexus of satellite access stations (SAS) and data centres located at strategic points around the world.

The satellite access stations – also known as ground stations or land earth stations (LES) – act as traffic gateways, directing the satellite signal to terrestrial networks such as the internet or the terrestrial telephone network (PSTN) and back again. Inmarsat’s ground network also connects signalling and other network management traffic with data centres, or meet-me points (MMP), in New York, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

Phone calls to an Inmarsat terminal are made using our +870 single number access code, the same as a country code number.

Inmarsat’s satellite access stations are located in:

• Auckland, New Zealand
• Burum, The Netherlands
• Fucino, Italy
• Laurentides, Canada
• Lino Lakes, USA
• Nemea, Greece
• Paumalu, Hawaii
• Perth, Australia
• Warkworth, New Zealand
• Winnipeg, Canada
• Merredin, Australia

Network Operations Centre

The Network Operations Centre (NOC) at our HQ in London is responsible for the co-ordination of all network activities, constantly monitoring the ground network to ensure we stay online.

Our sophisticated technology enables the NOC team to increase capacity in any part of the world – for example, in the event of a natural disaster when demand from emergency responders and media users in a particular region increases.