Stratos Global Corporation has deployed an Inmarsat FleetBroadband mobile satellite system onboard the tall ship Bark Europa to broadcast coverage of the final leg of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge between Halifax and Belfast — the system is being used by BBC Northern Ireland.

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 organized by Sail Training International and the American Sail Training Assoc. In April, more than 30 tall ships began competing in a series of races that will eventually cover more than 7,000 miles, including ports in Spain, Africa, Bermuda, Canada, and Northern Ireland. The final leg of the race began July 20 in Halifax and is scheduled to end in Belfast on August 13. FleetBroadband from Stratos is being used onboard the Bark Europa to provide live and recorded reports during the race's final leg.

The system is integrated with QuickLink software to enable live video streaming at speeds of 256 kpbs. It is also using Stratos Dashboard to set high-usage alerts and monitor traffic usage. Stratos Trench, an online customer-managed firewall utility, is preventing unauthorized access. Many media organizations have successfully deployed the land version of this mobile broadband satellite system, BGAN from Stratos, to deliver live and recorded news from remote regions of the world. From the initial BGAN service, the technology has been expanded into the maritime world with the launch of FleetBroadband, offering a cost-effective, high-speed and voice communications — available simultaneously — at speeds up to 432kpbs. FleetBroadband also provides on-demand guaranteed IP data rates, regardless of the vessel's location. Stratos is the largest supplier of mobile satellite services to the maritime industry, with communications to more than 40,000 maritime terminals worldwide. Stratos offers a wide range of value-added services to ensure optimal FleetBroadband performance, management control and cost efficiency.