Inmarsat has unveiled a global narrowband network, Elera, that will provide rapid speeds and low-cost terminals for its L-band customers.

The new innovations that the company is investing in include spectrum management technology to deliver L-band speeds up to 1.7Mbps, the smallest footprint, low-cost L-band terminal and two new L-band satellites, which are the largest and most sophisticated commercial communication satellites ever created.

The first of the two satellites, I-6 is scheduled to launch at the end of 2021, will be the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built.

The L-band capacity on each I-6 satellite will be substantially greater than Inmarsat’s 4th generation spacecraft and will deliver 50 per cent more capacity per beam; meaning that much more data can be carried over the same geographical area, in addition to unlimited beam routing flexibility.

Elera will be a key component of Inmarsat Orchestra, network that will combine GEO, LEO and 5G into one harmonious solution.

Live customer trials in commercial aviation are scheduled to start during the course of 2022 and this technology will be rolled out across a range of sector specific applications for Inmarsat’s mobility, government and IoT customers over the coming few years.

Elera will also deliver a major extension to Inmarsat’s portfolio of voice-enabled devices, bringing new capabilities and innovations to hundreds of thousands of customers.

“Elera is the exciting vision of how Inmarsat is planning to transform the capabilities offered to IoT and mobility customers for years to come and confirms our long-term commitment to L-band services. We will be sharing further detail on these innovations with our partner community in the coming months and continue our programme of announcements as we achieve major milestones.” said Rajeev Suri, CEO, Inmarsat.

The investments in Elera are already included in Inmarsat’s current capex plans and guidance.