[SatNews] Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT) has won the 41st annual Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award, Britain’s biggest prize for engineering innovation. The award was made for Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), a mobile satellite communications service.


Academy President Lord Browne of Madingley presented the Inmarsat team with a £50,000 prize and the solid gold MacRobert Award medal at the Academy Awards Dinner at London’s Guildhall on June 7th. The BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) family of services provides internet data connectivity anywhere on land, sea and air. It is widely used for remote, mobile communications for business, government, broadcasters, aid and relief agencies, and emergency services. On January 20, 2010, just days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Inmarsat’s mobile satellite communications services were being deployed to support emergency relief efforts in the region by providing essential communications services. After the initial emergency response, the service allowed the local population to call family and loved ones. Inmarsat’s team members sharing the prize included: Chief Technology Officer, Eugene Jilg; Chief Scientist, Marcus Vilaca, Director, Space Segment Engineering, Franco Carnevale and Director, System Network Engineering, Alan Howell, all based at Inmarsat in London.