The company says that this development comes as it aims to provide a significant upgrade to communications availability in the region.
I-6 F1 launched in December 2021 and spent seven months travelling to geostationary orbit above the Atlantic using its all-electric propulsion system.
After rigorous testing in the second half of 2022, the spacecraft is now at its final orbital slot above the Indian Ocean.
Inmarsat will begin increasing its capacity and transition services to the new satellite throughout 2023, beginning with the first customers from Q2.
Peter Hadinger, chief technology officer at Inmarsat said: “We are seeing rising demand for our services across the board, as airlines offer faster services for passengers, shipping companies use automated navigation, and industries aim to decarbonise through the Internet of Things.”
“Our I-6 satellites are designed to meet that demand into the 2040s over two of the busiest regions in the world, as we enable a smarter, more connected society.
“Having double the beams, 50% more spectrum per beam and double the power of our I-4 satellites, the I-6s’ advanced processors can match customer demand as and where it is needed in real-time.”
The announcement follows the successful launch of I-6 F1-s twin – I6 F2 which lifted off from Cape Canaveral in February.
Like F1, I-6 F2 will reach its geostationary orbit slot later this year, where it will undergo in-orbit testing.
The satellite will enter operational service over Europe, Africa and much of the Americas in mid-2024.
I-6 satellites are the most technologically advanced commercial communications satellites ever launched.
They are also the company’s first hybrid satellites, featuring both L-band (ELERA) narrowband and Ka-band (Global Xpress) high-speed broadband communications payloads.
Each of the I-6 satellites offer 50% more L-band capacity than Inmarsat’s entire 1-4 generation of ELERA satellites, effectively doubling its total ELERA capacity.
