All Inmarsat satellites though the F-3 series have been in inclined orbits
since beginning of life. This gives them extended on orbit lifetime. The
beamwidth of the Inmarsat L band ground terminals is large enough that tracking
isn't required. The gateway stations operate at C band with large antennas that
require continuous step tracking. I don't know for sure if the F-4 satellites
are inclined or not. This was a very clever use of available data for an
unintended purpose.
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