Internet Service News

U.S. shipping company Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) announced it will equip all vessels in its fleet with Space X’s Starlink satellite internet service in a move that aims to enhance onboard connectivity for seafarers.Since the introduction to the market of Starlink’s Global Maritime service earlier this year, OSG’s IT department has worked to substantially complete installation of Starlink equipment on every vessel in the fleet of OSG and ATC, with full installation expected by year end…

Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA (KCC) announced it is exploring the potential of improved vessel connectivity with a pilot of Starlink, a satellite internet service provisioned by Marlink. The move focuses on improving digital collaboration and data exchange between shore and ship, a key step in reaching KCC’s targets set for crew safety/welfare and carbon emission reductions, the company said.Taking traditional VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) connectivity to the next level…

On a windswept island 50 miles north of Seattle sits a U.S. Navy monitoring station. For years, it was kept busy tracking whale movements and measuring rising sea temperatures. Last October, the Navy gave the unit a new name that better reflects its current mission: Theater Undersea Surveillance Command.The renaming of the spy station at the Whidbey Island naval base is a nod to a much larger U.S. military project, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans:…

NYK has delivered Rera As, an NYK-owned crew transport vessel (CTV), to Siemens Gamesa for the Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm.The ClassNK certified vessel is the first CTV owned and operated by the NYK Group and is largest gross tonnage CTV currently in operation in Japan (according to NYK research). NYK Group's Hokuyo Kaiun will manage and operate the vessel.The vessel was completed in Singapore in April, and it was reflaged to Japan after equipment modifications, such as fenders and radio equipment…

Marlink has added SpaceX’s Starlink service to its offerings, a move aimed at strengthening its connectivity solutions portfolio.Marlink and OmniAccess will leverage Starlink – a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service enabled by a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit – to complement its portfolio of smart network solutions and services globally. Under the agreement, Marlink and OmniAccess will act as global “authorized Starlink integrators” for maritime and enterprise customers.Marlink’s integration of Starlink with existing VSAT…

Royal Caribbean Group this week revealed it will be the industry's first cruise ship operator to implement SpaceX’s Starlink for onboard broadband internet service for guests and crew fleetwide.The cruise giant said on Tuesday it will immediately begin installing Starlink high-speed, low-latency connectivity on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of its brands going forward. Initial installations…

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

A Dutch-flagged cruise ship will provide a temporary home to some 1,500 Ukrainians who fled their country in the wake of Russia's invasion.Holland America Line said its vessel Volendam will be used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees as part of an agreement announced by Netherlands and City of Rotterdam government officials. The ship will dock at Merwehaven, a cargo port on the north side of the River Maas in Rotterdam, for three months to provide a temporary home for approximately 1,500 Ukrainians, part of a larger commitment from the Netherlands to accommodate 50,000 people who fled the war in their homeland.“We are in a unique position to accommodate the immediate need for food and housing…

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday to discuss how the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. Congress helps the American people by upgrading ports and strengthening supply chains, the White House said on Sunday.Biden on Saturday called the bill a once-in-a-generation investment.

Workplace health and safety services company Remote Medical International (RMI) announced the launch of two new services RMI Access Telemedicine and Case Management to address health and safety challenges found in demanding industrial environments. Suited for oil and gas, renewables, construction and other industries with worksites in remote locations, the new services provide direct anytime, anywhere access to licensed medical providers trained in industrial injury management…

Swedish maritime internet service provider AecorLink said it has been appointed to deliver highspeed Internet to Wasaline´s brand new ferry - Aurora Botnia.Wasaline has been using AecorLink broadband service since 2017, on the ferry Wasa Express. Wasaline has had the first long distance shore to ship, satellite free, highspeed internet connection to a ferry. AecorLink will provide an updated version of the shore to ship microwave system to match the stable, low latency and highspeed internet services offered to passengers on the new top modern ferry Aurora Botnia.

AecorLink has been granted a new patent on its company's communication platform. The patented technology will further enhance the capacity for shore-ship communication via microwave links. The salient advantage with the patent allows the networks to further improve the capability providing high-speed and stable data connections.AecorLink AB a Swedish internet service provider targeting the maritime industry. A leader in providing microwave shore to ship connectivity, the company is operating techniques stretching from Wi-Fi, LTE4G to different satellite solutions.

The satellite communications provider Marlink is introducing an all-encompassing new hybrid communication service, called Sealink Global 4GThe Sealink Global 4G, as a turnkey solution it provides everything needed to leverage fast, low-latency mobile services when in network range while complementing VSAT connectivity when in regulated regions.Devised as a single global capability with full predictability on performance and costs, Sealink Global 4G is a ready-to-go solution bringing a new dimension of low-latency and flexible connectivity to Marlink’s global multi-band maritime network.The subscription is part of Marlink’s suite of 4G…

In the wake of hurricane Michael, Port Panama City Director Wayne Stubbs issued the following prepared statement:“The Panama City Port Authority has not yet been in contact with all of its employees, but most have been contacted and are safe. Most employees have sustained some damage to their homes, and some have lost their homes.Power was restored to the port on Saturday and internet service should be up by Tuesday.The port sustained damage to many of the buildings, but no damage to its docks, cranes, and equipment.

Marlink has doubled the burst speed on its Sealink VSAT services, enabling up to 3 Mbps for users on its data allowance packages, enabling faster Internet access and a smoother web browsing experience. New 40, 60 and 80 gigabyte (GB) data allowances have been introduced in parallel to the burst speed increase, enabling users with high bandwidth requirements to extend their smart shipping and crew welfare strategies with maritime VSAT network. Combined with the potential for faster Internet access, the new Sealink allowances enable significantly more capacity for smarter operational efficiency and enhance crew data communications while providing access to social media and web browsing.

In the next few years, demand for bandwidth on the high seas will grow, in no small part due to technology that is making operations more efficient and keeping crews and passengers healthy, happy and connected. Just a few years ago, a cruise-going family might have brought a single laptop computer and maybe a cell phone aboard. Today, cruise companies find that the average family shows up with 10 connected devices. And within the commercial maritime sector: crew members, away at sea for months at a time, are hungry for a robust connectivity experience to stay in touch with family and friends.

Telenor Satellite has announced that its Ka-band satellite capacity packages for land-based services in the Middle East have surpassed initial expectations, reaching more than 200 terminals within the first six months of commercial operation. Telenor Satellite commercially launched its iDirect land-based services for the Middle East and North Africa in Q4, 2015, via its new THOR 7 satellite. Since the launch, more and more customers throughout the Middle East region have contracted our land-based services packages, specifically in countries where there is limited fibre connectivity and satellite is the preferred distribution platform for vital and reliable communication links.

Satellite communications provider NSSLGlobal announced the trial of its Wi-Fi service across selected British Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. The service, based on NSSLGlobal’s proven technology for the commercial shipping sector, but modified for the Royal Navy will, for the first time allow crew to use their personal devices to connect with friends and family through internet services and applications. The Wi-Fi service is an all-in-one access control facility deployed as a gateway for managing Wi-Fi hotspots to enable BYOD (Bring your own Device) to be rolled out to Naval vessels. It will provide the user with a secure, available, supported and legally and morally compliant internet service providing access over existing ship bearers (whether satellite, ADSL or 3G/4G).

Royal Caribbean International has selected ElevenOS as the guest Internet management platform for its entire fleet of cruise ships, and has completed deployment of ElevenOS on all 22 ships at the end of 2014, including smartship Quantum of the Seas, hospitality technology provider Eleven announced today. ElevenOS is used to manage all aspects of this Internet service including custom branded portal pages, guest authentication, billing and advanced reporting. With ElevenOS and its satellite communications partners…

WiFi@Sea high-speed network will combine land-based systems and advanced satellite connectivity designed to give passengers faster, more stable and powerful internet service at sea. With connectivity speeds that can be roughly 10 times faster than ever before, passengers will be able to share their cruise experience via Internet, email and social media in real time. Carnival Corporation & plc has unveiled a hybrid wireless network – a high-speed service to eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships on all nine of its brands.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s reengineered Columbia, built from the original design plans of the classic 1923 Essex-built schooner, will be on display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 30-November 3, 2014. The original Columbia, a 141’ classic Gloucester Fishing Schooner designed by William Starling Burgess, built at the historic A.D. Story shipyard of Essex, Massachusetts and launched April 17, 1923, was bred for speed, challenging – and nearly defeating – Canada’s legendary Bluenose schooner in the International Fishermen’s Cup Races in Halifax.

Puerto Rico announced today that it is looking for a major international port operator to partner with on the development of the Port of the Americas, located in Ponce, on the southern coast of the island. The Port of the Americas site sits on over 300 acres, located just 5 miles from Mercedita Airport, representing a tremendous opportunity for future port capacity expansion and industrial growth. “We are excited to work with a private-sector partner on the Port of the Americas, to help bring jobs and economic opportunity to the southern coast of Puerto Rico,” said Alberto Bacó-Bagué, Secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce. “The development of this port is just another step in our larger economic plan focused on long-term strategic growth.

MTN Communications (MTN) says it has extended the companies' 12-year relationship and will be introducing new communications services to its three-ship Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet and five-ship Oceania Cruises operation. MTN explains that it delivers a complete communications solution including MTN Worldwide TV (MTN TV), Internet and voice services for passengers and crew, including the maritime-specific voice app for calling and messaging onboard and ship-to-shore. Prestige pioneered the launch of this app – MTN OceanPhone Mobile – onboard several of its vessels. OceanPhone Mobile leverages vessel Wi-Fi infrastructure and the reliable MTN network so crew can call and message with family and friends using their own smartphones and tablets.