Cobham SATCOM now shipping world's first dual mode BGAN/LTE M2M terminal

​Cobham SATCOM has started shipping its new EXPLORER 540 BGAN M2M terminal, which it claims is the “world’s first” M2M communication terminal designed to operate on both Inmarsat BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) and LTE/3G/2G cellular networks. The terminal has received Inmarsat Class 2 Type Approval and Inmarsat BGAN M2M certification.

The EXPLORER 540 delivers real-time M2M communication for diverse applications including IP SCADA for data backhaul, asset tracking, real-time surveillance and remote telemetry. Its ability to use both satellite comms and cellular networks, allows the most cost-effective communication service to be chosen depending on the installation’s location and service quality/availability. Dual mode operation also delivers significant failover capabilities with automatic switching to the secondary service should EXPLORER 540 detect that its primary communication service is unavailable. The EXPLORER 540 LTE Modem is optional and integrates into the back of the EXPLORER 540 BGAN M2M terminal. Cobham SATCOM will introduce the LTE modem introduced later this year.

The EXPLORER 540 is also an Inmarsat Class 2 BGAN terminal including a long list of features first seen on the EXPLORER 510, such as a pole mount, durable aluminium casing and IP66 rating.

“Resilience, cost-control and installation flexibility have driven development of EXPLORER 540, resulting in a terminal suitable for the most critical M2M networks, where availability of service in remote locations is crucial for operational continuity and safety,” said Henrik Nørrelykke, VP land business, Cobham SATCOM. “Inmarsat type approval ensures that M2M network operators can now choose a new state-of-the-art terminal that offers significant improvements over traditional technology.”