Inmarsat-C

Inmarsat-C is a two-way, packet data service operated by the telecommunications company Inmarsat which operates between mobile earth stations (MES) and land earth stations (LES).

It became fully operational after a period of pre-operational trials in January 1991.

The disadvantage is that voice communication is not possible with Inmarsat-C.[1] The service is approved for use under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), meets the requirements for Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is the most widely used service in fishing Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS).

The service works with a store-and-forward method which enables interface with data network transfer including; e-mail; SMS; telex; remote monitoring; tracking (position reporting); chart and weather updates; maritime safety information (MSI); maritime security; GMDSS; and SafetyNET[2] and FleetNET services; two-way messaging; data reporting and polling; Safety/Emergency alerting.

The four Ocean Regions that are covered by Inmarsat C are: Within each ocean region, there are approximately four or five Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC).