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BGAN Frequently
Asked Questions
Who or what is BGAN?
BGAN is short for "Broadband Global Area Network"
and is a service provided by Inmarsat, a leader of global
satellite
communications services for 30 years. Inmarsat licences
several manufactures to develop "terminals" that communicate
over the BGAN network.
Who do I buy my BGAN service from?
Ground Control. We have been
a
leader
in
mobile
satellite
Internet
access for over 5 years. If there is a problem, we are your point of contact
24x7.
Where does BGAN work?
Here is the coverage
area of the BGAN service. If you are within the colored area,
you can be connected. The closer you are to the edge of the coverage area, the
lower on the horizon the satellite will be.
How much does the service cost?
Ground Control has several plans available and we recommend
you speak with one of our representatives to choose a service right for your
needs.
Here is a detail of
our monthly pricing.
Basically,
BGAN
service
starts
at
$57
a
month
and
then
charges
on
a
usage
basis. A system that simply monitors
a valve in a remote region that transfers a few megabytes a month is charged
few dollars.
A large group account that transfers 2 Gigabytes will
run
$5800
a
month.
If you connect a phone or fax,
the costs are fixed at
.99 cents a minute for outbound calling, and free for incoming calling,
although
costs
are
burdened on the calling party. Ground Control is very competitive on price and
we will work with you to become your provider.
How Fast is BGAN?
BGAN has different speeds depending on the kind of terminal
purchased. Ground Control sells the fastest
terminal, the Hughes 9201 that is rated up
to 492Kbps in both directions. Testing in October of 2007
have shown actual speeds
have been between 300 to 420Kbps in
both
directions. Latency, or ping time over the BGAN network
is between 900 and 1200 Milliseconds (from California
back to California over the BGAN satellite network).
How does the telephone service work?
This is one of the great features of BGAN terminals, they are excellent calling
instruments that are assigned unique telephone numbers. Use an attached phone
the same way you would use your phone at the office.
With the Hughes 9201, you may
connect
a normal telephone to an optional terminal adapter and
make or receive calls to anyone in the world. This is not VOIP software... You're
using a normal phone that gives you a dial tone when you pick it up. Each Sim
Card (see below) is given a unique phone number and a unique Fax number. Works
with
both
the Hughes 9201
and 9250. The Explorer 110 uses an optional ISDN phone or Bluetooth wireless
phone and does not require a terminal adapter to make phone calls.
For Instructions on how to place a telephone call to (or from) a BGAN phone,
please
click
here.
How does the Fax service work?
For the Hughes 9201, is works the same as the telephone. Use a standard fax machine
from
any
store,
plug
it
into
the optional terminal adapter, and send or receive faxes from anyone. For instructions
click
here. The Explorer 110 does not support Fax services.
Can anyone point the terminal?
The Hughes 9201 has only
two buttons, a power button, and a button that turns on and off an audible beeper.
With the beeper on, you sweep the sky until the beeper raises in pitch. Simply
get the highest pitch possible and you're fully pointed.
The
terminal has a built in compass, so you can easily guess where the satellite
is. Pointing
takes between 1 to 3 minutes and can be done by anyone.
The Explorer 110 only has one button (instead of 2) to do the same pointing tasks
above.
It
does
not
have
a built in compass, but with practice, a compass is not required.
How many computers may connect to the terminal?
Both terminals come with DHCP routing (either wireless or ethernet). The 9201
will allow up to 11 concurrent users. The Explorer 110 will allow 1 concurrent
user. You may easily install an inexpensive wireless router for additional
concurrent
connections with any BGAN terminal.
What is the Sim Card?
The Sim Card is a small chip that activates the terminal.
Like a cell phone, it is the Sim Card that contains all of
the information on the account. A Sim Card will work in any
BGAN terminal from any terminal manufacturer. You may own
multiple Sim Cards, each with its own account. This is good
for teams
of people that can all have their own individual
card/account but use the same terminal antenna. Simply insert
the Sim Card you wish to use, and turn the
terminal
on. That's it!
What is the difference between BGAN
systems and the Mobile Satellite Dishes?
BGAN terminals are extremely portable and cost less than the satellite dish systems.
They
can
be
carried
in
a
regular
sized
laptop
case
and
connect anywhere for high speed Internet, phone and faxing. The bigger mobile
satellite
dish weights over 100 lbs and
needs to
be mounted on a vechile roof, or crated in a fly away box, and they do not support
non-voip
phone
or faxing without additional equipment.
BGAN usage
is
more
expensive
than the satellite dish system, but if you need portable
high speed access, BGAN is the best solution.
Will it work inside a building?
Both systems have a built in wireless system (802.11 or Bluetooth), so you can
connect
to
the the terminal by wireless. But, if you have a window that has line of sight
with
the
satellite,
both terminals have no
problem
working
through
that window. It needs to be placed close to the
window
to
acquire
GPS
information. You do have the option of acquiring GPS with the system outside,
and then taking
it inside and placing the terminal in a position where it has line of sight to
the orbiting (geostationary)
satellite.
Can the system be mounted on a building?
Yes. Many companies in remote regions mount the system to
a wall using either an external antenna, or a mounting
kit. Please click on the BGAN accessories link below for
more information.
Are there other accessories for the system?
Yes. Here are the BGAN accessories available
from Ground Control.
How much power does the BGAN system
use?
The BGAN terminals run off rechargeable batteries, or AC/DC
power (on optional DC
power adapter is available for vehicles).
While idle, both terminals will last 36 hours on battery power. If transmitting
or receiving, power requirements are higher and the battery will be expended
at a faster rate. However, normal usage has far more idle time than actual
usage. You may consider a BGAN terminals much the same way you look at a
cell phone, that it needs to be recharged from time to time, but that it
does not need to be plugged in for usage (make sure to disable wireless options
and connect via Ethernet to conserve power). The 9201 terminal uses about 18
Watts of power when transmitting and 8 watts when
idle making it a very
easy system to use with a solar recharging system.
How does the BGAN In-Motion systems work?
Both the Hughes 9250 and the Explorer 527 systems mount on any roof (normally
magnetically).
When either is plugged into a 12V or 24 Volt power source, they
will
automatically
track
and lock
on satellite. In vehicle connections are via Ethernet with both systems. The
9250
has
a
build
in
wireless
access
point
so
that
anyone
in
the vehicle, or around it will be able to connect with 100 feet. The Explorer
527 uses Bluetooth for data access. For
those on the edge of the coverage map, trees and mountains may become a factor
from
having
a line of site to the satellite which is lower on the horizon, and service may
be irregular. Service prices are identical to other BGAN services offered at
Ground Control.
Can I do Video Streaming over the system?
Yes, BGAN is a perfect and very cost effective solution
for those wishing to cover live events and stream video.
CNN
just
won an award in September of
2007
for using BGAN 9201 systems for live broadcasts in Iraq.
The Hughes 9201 offers Streaming committed information rates
(CIR) of 32, 64, 128, & 256 Kbps, which means that no one
else shares
with your speed when you are connected. Your transmission
will not be stalled. This page
has more information on
Video streaming solutions.
Will it work with both Mac and PC?
Yes, both Windows and Macintosh users may use the system.
In fact any TCP-IP capable device that can work with DHCP
is able to connect to the system. BGAN terminals use
"Launchpad" software that by default, you must
manually "register"
with the satellite (a one button operation),
and open a data connection. Launchpad software also
offers numerous
configuring choices of the terminals' parameters. A great
trick is to configure the terminal to automatically "register"
and opening
up a "data" session after you point the terminal,
a process which will eliminate the need to run the launchpad
software
from a computer. Only one computer needs to run the Launchpad.
Other computers/devices connected to the terminal do not
need it.
How does the Wireless
Access Point work?
The Hughes 9201 (or the Hughes 9250 in-motion system) are
a wireless "B" access point. By default, it is
disabled and you must connect by ethernet to the unit and
enable the wireless service. You have the option of making
it open or using WEP security.
The Explorer 110 uses bluetooth data access with a range
of 100 feet, and by default, it is disabled until enabled
by the owner.
Enabling the Wireless on BGAN terminals does require extra
power, so if you need to run off battery for an extended
period of time, it is better to disable the wireless and
run an Ethernet cable between the termainl and your computer.
How does weather affect the terminal's ability to connect?
The BGAN "L" band radio uses lower frequencies
that are much less susceptible to rain fade than much larger
satellite dish
systems.
What is the difference between the
Monthly and Bulk subscriptions?
The biggest difference is that any unused portion of monthly
service does not does not rollover to the
following
month. With Bulk plans,
your total allotment
is
available to you at anytime within 12 months. All plans may
go over plan limits. Please contact Ground Control for more
information on service plans.
Can I take the system anywhere in the world?
Yes, and many are already doing just this. With
the included universal power adapters, you can plug your
9201
into wall
power
from most
every
country (more
on 9201 power kit) For the Explorer 110, it ships with
the European two prong and a U.S. adapter. If you plan
to travel, you will need
an expensive power adapter kit like the one that ships
with the 9201.
Can I use BGAN service on a boat or vessel?
Yes, but you will use the FleetBroadband terminal
and service. FleetBroadband is the same BGAN network, but
uses sea worthy terminals for connectivity.
If you try using the portable BGAN terminals ( Hughes 9201,
9250, or the Explorer 110, 527) while traveling on the
open sea, Inmarsat
(the owning
company
of the satellite) will suspend the service.
Can I purchase a system anywhere
in the world?
Yes. Ground Control will ship to any location on the planet,
and we have multiple shipping locations around the world.
You can use Altavista Babel
Fish translation and convert
your message into English and email us at sales@groundcontrol.com
Is there a users manual?
Yes, here
are a number of documents such as user manuals and support
guides that can help you understand the BGAN system in more
detail.
How Secure is the Terminal?
Among other verification protocals, BGAN uses the same ciphering method as UMTS,
called Kasumi (more info
on Kasumi) To enable ciphering, reviewpage 5 of this
document. In addition, Ground
Control
offers
a
highly
configurable online firewall that is password protected and customer configured.
Limit multiple
kinds
of traffic for either inbound our outbound. For more information on this included
service, follow
this link. We also offer private circuits to the BGAN network operations
center, so
your traffic is private
from client terminal to headquarters.
Will it work with VPN?
Yes. The Hughes 9201 has been tested to work with multiple VPN's over the BGAN
network including Cisco Client V1 & V2, Nortel-Contivity, Netscreen Remote
Client 8.1, Checkpoint 4.1, and SonicWall. There are also excellent security
measures offered by other 3rd party vendors here.
Can I create a Private Network?
Yes. Ground Control will connect your organization to the BGAN Network Operations
Center in New York.
Can I get a Static IP
address?
Yes. Static IP addresses are available.
Don't see your question
here?
Ground Control desires to make the FAQ as complete as possible.
Please email the web administrator at webmaster@groundcontrol.com and please let us know that your question
was not answered on
this
page. Not only will you get an answer, we'll make sure everyone
else with the same question sees it here.
Ready to deploy?
For questions or purchase, please contact Ground Control at 800-773-7168
within
the
U.S.,
or click here
for International calls, or email sales@groundcontrol.com
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