Mobile Phones Taking Flight as ARINC and Telenor Demonstrate New Cellular System

November 18, 2004

London, UK—ARINC Incorporated and Telenor today gave leading UK and European journalists a demonstration of the technology that will make in-flight mobile phone service a reality. ARINC/Telenor Mobile Connectivity—the new GSM mobile phone solution for airlines that uses Inmarsat aeronautical services—was deployed inside Inmarsat’s London headquarters for use by an invited list of aviation and aerospace writers and editors.

Attendees took a "virtual flight" from the comfort of Inmarsat’s London headquarters to experience how the new onboard GSM mobile phone network works, enabling voice calls and SMS messages at 30,000 feet. They placed and received calls on their personal mobile phones to test the new service, which is being marketed to the world’s airlines.

“ARINC, Telenor, and Inmarsat want you to experience one of the first live demonstrations of this service, to find out what it will mean for travelers, airlines, and the communications industry,” stated Graham Lake, ARINC Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The system works through a small "picocell" installed on the aircraft to create a mini mobile cell in the passenger cabin, linked to the ground via a satellite connection.

“This simple solution extends mobile roaming onto the aircraft, a natural extension of the coverage at most airports. It will enable tomorrow’s travelers to place and receive mobile calls and messages wherever they fly,” said Robert Johnson, Director of Market Management at Inmarsat. “The days of missing calls and important messages while you’re in the air will soon be over.”

“This system has passed the technology and pricing hurdles,” stated Bernt Fanghol, Telenor Director of Program Management. “Exactly as shown here, it will fit aboard thousands of today’s passenger jets, and with no additional satellite equipment required because it makes use of the existing Inmarsat technology already found on most long-range aircraft today.”

Significantly, ARINC and Telenor expect the Mobile Connectivity system to be priced well under $100,000 per aircraft. The phone charges are expected to be similar to international roaming rates on the ground.

With headquarters in Oslo, Norway, Telenor is an international provider of high quality telecommunications, data, and media services, with expanding operations in international mobile and satellite communications. Telenor is one of Norway's largest companies with 2003 revenues of approximately U.S. $7.6 billion and a workforce of 20,600 located in Norway and abroad. Telenor is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (TEL) and the NASDAQ (TELN). For additional information, visit the Telenor web site at www.telenor.com.

Inmarsat Ltd owns and operates a unique global mobile satellite network and delivers its communications solutions through a worldwide network of approximately 400 distributors and service providers to end users in the maritime, land and aeronautical sectors in approximately 170 countries. Inmarsat Ltd has a portfolio of mobile satellite solutions, including voice, fax, intranet and Internet access and other data service, and more than 25 years’ experience in designing, implementing and operating satellite networks. At the end of February 2004, approximately 300,000 terminals were registered to access Inmarsat Ltd’s services, of which over 60% were active in the previous 12 months. Inmarsat Ltd is also supported by partners in the fields of equipment manufacture, software provision, and systems integration. Inmarsat is the exclusive global partner of the FIA World Rally Championship. For more information, visit the Inmarsat web site at www.inmarsat.com.

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,000 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 Certified.