On December 21 BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) was launched in China, a mobile broadband and voice service delivered by two I-4 satellites, capable of providing a 256kbps IP data rate and a guaranteed 492kbps data rate. BGAN has been initiated in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and will be available in North America and Africa in 2006. The network, which allows for simultaneous use of data networking and voice calls, will cover 85% of the globe, accessing 98% of the population, according to the China Transportation Telecommunication Center under the International Mobile Satellite Organization.