A new global high-speed mobile broadband service is to be created, thanks to a $1.2 billion (£762 million) investment by Inmarsat.

The company has agreed a contract with Boeing for the delivery of three state-of-the-art 702HP Ka-band satellites, which will deliver internet speeds of up to 50MB through a brand new network.

This satellite constellation will support Inmarsat's next generation global service, which is to be called Global Xpress.

"We will be the first operator to offer global broadband coverage, offering unparalleled speeds and bandwidth to customers in remote locations around the world," said Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and chief executive of Inmarsat.

Customers will have to wait a while for this Global Xpress service though, as operations are not expected to start until 2014.

In the meantime, internet providers in the UK are trying their best to improve the service that households and businesses receive.

Last month, for example, fibre optic infrastructure specialist i3 Group signed a contract with Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd to provide homes in the UK with super-fast broadband.