What is Inmarsat?
The International Mobile Satellite Organization (Inmarsat), previously the International Maritime Satellite Organization, was established by IMO in 1976 to operate satellite maritime communication systems and has become a privately owned company, while retaining its public sector obligations to the maritime distress and safety system. Three types of Inmarsat ship earth station terminals are recognized by the GMDSS: the Inmarsat A, B and C. The Inmarsat A and B, an updated version of the A, provide ship/shore, ship/ship and shore/ship telephone, telex and high-speed data services, including a distress priority telephone and telex service to and from rescue coordination centres. The Inmarsat C provides ship/shore, shore/ship and ship/ship store-and-forward data and telex messaging, the capability for sending preformatted distress messages to a rescue coordination centre, and the SafetyNET service. The Inmarsat C SafetyNET service is a satellite-based worldwide maritime safety information
