Communications Applications News

ITC Global, a provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, has announced its three-year contract extension with Youth With A Mission Medical Ships Australia, Ltd (YWAM MSA). Under terms of the agreement, ITC Global will provide critical connectivity services to the nonprofit’s medical ship serving the Papua New Guinea (PNG) region, along with new crew welfare services for staff leisure use not previously available to the YWAM team. The all-volunteer-operated vessel based in Townsville…

Maritime operational effectiveness is to be enhanced globally through the provision of training and certification for seafarers assigned to use advanced satellite communication systems on-board commercial vessels. The initiative, which has been tailored for maritime professionals serving on thousands of commercial vessels at sea, is being led by Seagull Maritime, a Norwegian provider of seafarer training, and GVF, the London-based international association of the satellite communications industry. “Ship owners and managers depend daily upon broadband satellite communications for mission-critical applications”, said Roger Ringstad, Master Mariner and Managing Director of Seagull Maritime.

Liquid Robotics announced the introduction of the Wave Glider SV3, a hybrid wave and solar propelled unmanned ocean robot. The Wave Glider SV3 incorporates the latest advancements in energy harvesting technology, providing the ability to utilize both wave and solar energy for forward propulsion. Customers will now have the ability to conduct missions, 24x7, through all weather conditions, across most of the planet to help research global problems such as global climate change…

SatCom provider Intelsat S.A. announce James Collett has joined the company as Director of Mobility Services Product Management. Based in Intelsat’s London office, Collett will be responsible for advancing Intelsat’s mobility product line and furthering the company’s leadership role in providing managed services and space-only solutions to the aeronautical, maritime and government sectors. Collett has more than 25 years of industry experience, including 13 years at Inmarsat, where most recently he was Senior Director of Maritime Business.

New Centers provide complete managed-communications services worldwide. Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has expanded its maritime service-delivery capabilities by opening Global Installation & Service Centers (GIS Centers) in four major maritime regions. The Stratos GIS Centers in Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Lafayette, Louisiana provide complete managed-communications services for ship owners and ship-management companies worldwide.

Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway, today announced that it has signed a three-year communication agreement with Neste Oil Corporation of Helsinki, Finland for maritime broadband services. Under the terms of the contract, Telenor will provide Sealink Ku-Band services onboard 11 tankers with all vessels scheduled to have Sealink service by August of this year. Sealink's Ku-Band service provides Neste Shipping with high-speed data communications coverage throughout Western Europe. Offering maritime broadband communications at speeds of up to 2 megabits per second, Telenor's Sealink service enables efficient and cost-effective 'at sea' communications for ship operations including Internet access, video conferencing, e-mails, faxes, and telephone calling.

Telenor Satellite Services announced the signing of a contract with Fugro Survey Limited of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, for Sealink maritime high-speed data communications aboard three of the company's survey and research vessels. Under the terms of the annual agreement, Telenor will provide Ku-Band service for two of Fugro's site survey vessels, both operating in the North Sea. Telenor will also install a new combined "quick change" C- and Ku-Band system aboard a third vessel, operating globally. Ku-Band provides Fugro the capability to use high-speed communications applications at sea including LAN and WAN connectivity, video conferencing, and Internet access, while using smaller, less expensive shipboard equipment.

Telenor Satellite Services today announced the signing of a business agreement with Anders Utkilens Rederi (AUR) of Norway, one of northern Europe's largest maritime chemical transportation companies. The contract calls for Telenor to provide its Sealink maritime high-speed data communications solution aboard AUR's fleet of 16 chemical tanker vessels. Under the terms of this multi-year agreement, Telenor will provide Ku-Band service for AUR's entire fleet that operates primarily throughout European waters. Sealink's Ku- Band service provides AUR the capability to use high-speed communications applications at sea including LAN and WAN connectivity, video conferencing, and Internet access, while using smaller, less expensive shipboard equipment.