Inmarsat - A new global maritime satellite communications system

In response to increasing communication demands related to the presence of a large number of ships at sea, the Assembly of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, convened in 1973 the International Conference on the Establishment of an International Maritime Satellite System. The chain of events set in motion in connection with this conference culminated in the birth of the International Maritime Satellite Organization (Inmarsat). Inmarsat came into being on July 16, 1979. The purpose of Inmarsat is to make provision for the space segment necessary for improving maritime communications, thereby assisting in improving communications for distress and safety of life at sea, efficiency and management of ships, maritime public correspondence services, and radio determination capabilities. The Inmarsat system went into operation on February 1, 1982, taking over from the American Marisat system which had provided a similar service since 1976.