U.S. Coast Guard Selects Stratos Government Services to Deploy Ku-Band Communications Network.
Stratos Government Services Inc. (SGSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat plc, today announced it was awarded a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on June 17, 2011 to provide USCG Large Cutter Connectivity. SGSI will provide the USCG with Ku-band satellite airtime, installation support, teleport equipment and service, Network Operations Center support and training. Under the contract, SGSI will buildout a Ku-band network to support USCG High-Endurance Cutters and Medium-Endurance Cutters. The broadband service will enable the cutters to interconnect with the USCG data network to exchange operational ship traffic, including SIPRNET and NIPRNET data.
Ku band as a primary communications path is a critical component of the USCG’s efforts to upgrade technology onboard its ships, as it migrates from Inmarsat B lease services to an IP-based communications architecture. The upgrade, along with FleetBroadband, which is currently being provided by SGSI, is designed to increase the vessels’ communications throughput capabilities to operate globally in all weather conditions. “This contract award represents a critical component of USCG’s technology upgrade and transition to an IP-based architecture,” said SGSI President & CEO Bob Roe. “We consider it an honor and a privilege to have been entrusted with this responsibility, and we are grateful for the opportunity to expand our relationship with USCG.”