Land Portable (BGAN)
3 results
Land Portable (BGAN)
3 results
BGAN Terminal Rental: IsatHub, EXPLORER 510 and EXPLORER 710
You have a site with no cell coverage and no fixed line, and an email or a file transfer cannot wait for someone to run a cable. A BGAN terminal gives you a working internet connection anywhere Inmarsat reaches, packed into something you carry in yourself. Satmodo rents three of them.
The date you choose is the day it arrives. Pick the day you want the equipment in your hands, not the day you leave. Your rental starts the day you receive it and ends the day we get it back, so leave yourself a day or two to test everything before you travel.
Available now
What you can rent
Every unit is pre-tested and activated before it leaves the warehouse, so it works the moment you switch it on. Most orders ship the same day, and you can collect in San Diego if that beats waiting on a courier.
What a BGAN terminal is for
A BGAN terminal is not a home broadband replacement carried outdoors. It is a working link for the days before infrastructure exists on a site, or the hours after it stops existing. A film crew uses one to file footage from a location with nothing else nearby. A disaster response team uses one to get a first status report out before anything fixed is back online. A field team uses one because a laptop and this terminal is the whole office for the week.
All three terminals here run on the Inmarsat network, which reaches worldwide except the extreme polar regions. That matters beyond raw coverage too. If you are heading to India, Inmarsat is the only satellite network the country permits, so a BGAN terminal already runs on the one network that is legal there, though you still need a permit from Indian authorities before you travel.
Which of the three
The three terminals are separated by how fast the standard connection runs and how much you want to carry. None of them is broadband. All of them get a working internet connection somewhere one currently does not exist.
Inmarsat IsatHub
The smallest of the three. Pairs over Wi-Fi and turns a phone or laptop into a connected device, for the trip where the terminal has to disappear into a pack.
Cobham EXPLORER 510
The middle option, and the one most jobs land on. Sets down, points at the sky and runs a small team's email and file transfer.
Cobham EXPLORER 710
The largest and fastest of the three, for the site that needs more throughput than the 510 can give and has someone to set it up properly.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| IsatHub | EXPLORER 510 | EXPLORER 710 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard IP speed | Up to 384 kbps | Up to 464 kbps | Up to 492 kbps |
| Streaming | No streaming figure published | No streaming figure published | Over 650 kbps, a separate mode billed by the minute in blocks |
| How it's carried | No weight published | Under 3 lb | No weight published |
Who it is not for
None of these three terminals is for a full production office with several people online at once, on video calls and pulling large files all day. The standard connection tops out under 500 kbps even on the fastest of the three, and streaming runs as a separate mode billed by the minute rather than something included in the plan. If you are picturing a crew of six all on camera at the same time, ask about a different kit built for that load instead of a BGAN terminal.
If what you actually need is one working link for messages, a position report, a voice call and the occasional file, any of the three will do that job well.
Setting one up
None of these is plug and play the way a mobile hotspot is. A BGAN terminal needs an open, unobstructed view of the sky and has to be pointed at the satellite before it will register a signal. Indoors, under trees, or with a hillside blocking the sky, it will not connect at all, so plan a few minutes on-site to find clear sky and get the terminal pointed before you rely on it for anything urgent.
What arrives is not the part you have to worry about. Every device Satmodo rents is pre-tested, activated and verified before it leaves the warehouse. If you are working from a vehicle, a magnetic mount and a 12V car charger are available by the day, and a Pelican hard case is worth adding if the terminal is travelling in a bag with anything else.
Questions people ask before they book
What speed can I actually expect?
Between 384 kbps and 492 kbps depending on which terminal you rent, before any streaming add-on. The IsatHub tops out at 384 kbps, the EXPLORER 510 at 464 kbps and the EXPLORER 710 at 492 kbps on its standard connection. None of the three is broadband speed, but all three keep email, messaging and light file transfer moving from a site with nothing else.
Can I stream video with any of them?
Only the EXPLORER 710 has a published streaming mode, at over 650 kbps. It runs as a separate mode billed by the minute and bought in blocks, not as part of the standard connection, so it suits a specific clip or call rather than continuous video through the trip.
Do I need to point it at anything?
Yes. All three terminals need an open view of the sky and have to be pointed at the satellite before they will connect. Set up somewhere with clear sky, away from buildings, hills or dense tree cover, and give it a few minutes before you rely on it for anything urgent.
Will this work in India?
Yes, and it may be your only legal option there. India permits Inmarsat as the only satellite network, and all three of these terminals run on Inmarsat. You still need a permit from Indian authorities before you travel; arriving without one risks confiscation and imprisonment.
When does my rental period actually start?
The day you receive the terminal, not the day you book it or the day you leave. The date you pick at checkout is the delivery date. Your rental runs from the day the unit arrives to the day Satmodo gets it back, and shipping time in either direction is not counted as rental days.
How do I receive and return it?
Either shipped to arrive on the date you choose, or picked up from and dropped back at Satmodo's San Diego location. Both options are available on every rental, and every terminal is pre-tested, activated and verified before it goes out, so the connection is already confirmed working before it reaches you.
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