🔍 Key Concepts
• Inmarsat-FBB (Fleet Broadband) is a high-speed IP-based service allowing voice and data communications over broadband.
• Inmarsat-C is a low-speed, narrowband system mainly used for data, text, and safety services (GMDSS messaging), with very small terminals.
• Trade-offs between capability vs. size, weight, installation complexity, and cost when comparing broadband vs. narrowband systems.
💭 Think About
• Which system offers broadband, high-capacity communications suitable for internet, email with large attachments, and voice—FBB or C?
• When a system offers more capability and higher data rates, do you usually expect the hardware to be larger/more expensive, or smaller/cheaper?
• Think of Inmarsat-C terminals on many SOLAS ships: are they typically compact or bulky compared with full broadband satellite setups?
✅ Before You Answer
• Identify which option correctly pairs greater communications capabilities with a realistic trade-off in size, weight, installation expense, and initial cost.
• Check whether any choice claims a system is both higher capability AND smaller/cheaper; be skeptical of this combination.
• Eliminate any option that reverses the known relationship between broadband (FBB) and narrowband (C) in terms of terminal size and cost.