Piers Cunningham News

SpeedCast International Limited, a global satellite communications and network service provider, and KTsat, the satellite service provider in Korea, have announced the two companies have been awarded a new contract to provide global Ku-band maritime communications services to up to 150 vessels. The service will be installed over the next 18 months. “It has been a phenomenal experience to work with SpeedCast for our maritime customers. We saw a great momentum from our partnership that our KOREASAT satellite fleets in Korea and in the Asia-Pacific region have been growing over the past few years. SpeedCast has been providing an extensive infrastructure for providing this seamless connectivity for maritime data…

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a global satellite telecommunications service provider, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year communications contract from Gulf Marine Services (GMS). The new dual-beam Ku-band satellite service will provide high-performance broadband connectivity for client office applications and voice services across nine GMS barges. GMS is one of the largest providers of self-propelled, self-elevating accommodation jack-up barges in the world. The vessels work in offshore oilfields, often in harsh weather conditions, and therefore require a reliable and high-quality connection between the vessels and the land-based operations.

Speedcast announces buyout; also announces appointment of new Board Director and Chairman. SpeedCast Ltd. announced the buyout of SatComms Australia, a satellite solutions provider in Australia. The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition will further consolidate SpeedCast’s leadership position in the Asia-Pacific region and provide SpeedCast with an expanded presence in Australia. SpeedCast also announced the appointment of Michael Malone as a nonexecutive Board Director and the appointment of John Mackay as Chairman of the Board.

Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services inform that SatComms Australia, a provider of mobile and fixed satellite solutions, has been appointed as a Gold Service Provider. An Inmarsat service provider since 2005, SatComms provides services primarily to the maritime sector and, in recent years, has extended its business to Land and Aviation users as well. “We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with SatComms Australia going back many years and are pleased to welcome them to the ranks of Gold Service Provider…

Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT), provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announced the first installation of the FleetBroadband 150 (FB150) service onboard tug Miclyn Enterprise. The installation of the SAILOR 150 FleetBroadband system was managed by Thrane & Thrane’s Certified Partner, Jason Electronics, at the Jalan Brigjen Katamso shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. Installation aboard Miclyn Enterprise, a multipurpose offshore support vessel owned by Miclyn Express Offshore, was completed in 15 minutes, and the first email sent and telephone call made within the hour. The FleetBroadband service is the first maritime communications solution to provide cost-effective broadband data and voice, simultaneously, through a compact antenna on a global basis.

Inmarsat has confirmed that its new FleetBroadband 150 (FB150) service is now live and passing commercial voice and data traffic on the network. According to Piers Cunningham, Director of Maritime Business for Inmarsat, FB150 was “designed specifically to handle broadband IP data, as well as high-quality voice and SMS.”  The company has begun shipping new hardware to accompany the system.

Inmarsat announced that it is to expand its FleetBroadband family to offer an entry-level, globally deployable, combined voice and data service targeted at small vessels. The new service, FB150, will deliver voice, IP data up to 150kbps and SMS, and is planned to be available by mid-2009. Inmarsat has developed the new service to address the needs of smaller leisure, fishing and commercial vessels with lower data requirements than the high performance FB250 and FB500. FB150 will offer a voice connection at landline quality, accessible simultaneously with internet-capable IP data and simple-to-use SMS. The first manufacturers of FB150 hardware will be Thrane & Thrane and AddValue, which is partnering with SpaceCom for antenna production.

Inmarsat’s new Fleet F55 service is undergoing evaluation with the U.S. Coast Guard aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater. The evaluation follows extensive beta testing and successful launch of the Fleet F55 service in April 2003, and forms part of the company ' s 2003 Maritime Field Evaluations (MFEs) program for the service. As part of the evaluation with the U.S. Coast Guard, an EMS Technologies Fleet F55 terminal has been installed on the USCG Shearwater, an 87-foot Island Class coastal patrol vessel based out of Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. Airtime provision for the evaluation is being provided by Telenor Satellite Services, Inc. " The MFE being conducted with the U.S.