Inmarsat Fleetbroadband News

Inmarsat has equipped four Paraná River push boats operated by Impala Paraguay with Fleet Xpress connectivity, in what the mobile satellite communications company is calling a breakthrough for maritime broadband inland along one of South America’s longest waterways.The prime mover vessels are used by Impala Paraguay to steer its fleet of 30 double-hulled barges along the waterway system to move gas oil, jet fuel, gasoline and naphtha products from Argentina onward to Paraguay and Bolivia, exporting soya bean oil in the other direction.

Shipping Company Groningen (SCG) has contracted offshore internet services provider Castor Marine to install its Global 4G Connectivity package on all 30 of its vessels. With this, the coasters will have a fast, global 4G-LTE internet connection for its crews. On its fleet, SCG offers its personnel a Crew Welfare Zone with free internet within the 12-mile (4G) zone. To realize this, SCG wanted a plug-and-play, cost-efficient system that is always operational and doesn’t interfere with the crew’s activities.To make this happen…

Marine services firm Bourbon has signed a contract committing more than 100 offshore support vessels (OSVs) to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress, the maritime broadband service that combines the speed of Ka-band with continuous back up from Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband operating on L-band.The deal represents a breakthrough offshore contract for Fleet Xpress, which is already installed on some 7,000 vessels - mainly seagoing merchant ships, the company said.“This contract is substantial in…

Fleet Data from Inmarsat has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from leading classification society Bureau Veritas.This is a major milestone for the maritime industry’s leading secure sensor data and Internet of Things (IoT) platform. Conditions of approval by Bureau Veritas verify that Fleet Data can be installed safely on board without its operation affecting existing navigation, safety and radio communication systems.The bandwidth-inclusive platform allows ship owners and managers to take control of sensor data collected on board, pre-process, extract and aggregate it in cloud-based storage to be exploited by the operator’s own decision-making software or third party applications.

Marlink is unveiling a unique and intelligent threat detection solution for the maritime industry at SMM 2018 this week.Cyber Detection, the latest addition to Marlink’s fully integrated ship and shore-based Cyber Guard portfolio, monitors all outbound and inbound network traffic around the clock and enables customers to view threats affecting their vessels through an intuitive, web-based dashboard. In addition, customers may also set-up notifications on critical threats to be received by email and/or SMS.

Inmarsat and Intellian have signed an outline agreement that will support enhancements to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband service for the next decade and beyond. The new agreement will see Intellian design and manufacture a new generation of FleetBroadband terminals that will support the existing I-4 network alongside the major advances coming with Inmarsat’s sixth generation satellite constellation, the first of which is scheduled for launch in 2020. The next generation terminals will be significantly lower cost and feature a host of new capabilities, including much faster throughput speeds.

Castor Marine, the Netherlands based maritime communications and IT services provider, has announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract with Wagenborg Shipping. The contract covers the delivery of 40+ new VSAT systems with satellite Internet based on Castor’s global VSAT network, Inmarsat Fleetbroadband as back-up for the VSAT service and IT support for the vessel LAN infrastructure. Castor Marine will provide an end-to-end solution including installation and onboard support worldwide.

The role of Inmarsat as sole provider of satellite technology performing to Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) standards is set for advancement, after an IMO Sub Committee decided to greenlight consideration of both FleetBroadband and Fleet One for formal approval. To date, Inmarsat is the only company which has received approval from the International Maritime Organization to provide the GMDSS data and messaging communications on which mariners rely in the last resort, currently via Inmarsat C and Fleet 77 services.

Global mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat has signed a five-year contract with Hapag-Lloyd to migrate all ships directly managed by the shipping line to services enabled for Fleet Xpress. Hapag-Lloyd, the sixth largest container shipping operator in the world by Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity, will transition all existing ships that it manages in-house from Inmarsat FleetBroadband services to Fleet Xpress. The agreement also covers five 10,500 TEU vessels as latest new builds.

Satcom Global has launched a maritime system bringing seafarers up to speed with today’s ‘connect anytime anywhere’ culture, enabling those at sea to keep in touch with the rest of the world with their own device. The latest addition to Satcom Global’s product portfolio offers ‘Bring Your Own Device’ technology to vessels at sea, where crew can access web-based services via internet café hotspots through their own Apple, Android and Windows, tablets, smartphones and laptops. With the growing demand for technology and communications on-board…

Airbus Defense and Space has added new features to its XChange communications management platform with the release of version 3.1 at SMM 2014. Headlining the new version is a unique system that provides Universal Remote Access to any device connected to on board networks or the IT network itself and new functionality that builds on the recently released BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) solution for XChange. Universal Remote Access as a new option for XChange provides secure remote access to computers on board a vessel from anywhere. It meets the growing need from ship-owners, communications equipment manufacturers, satcom service providers and maritime service companies to easily access IT networks on board from shore for maintenance and troubleshooting.

Supported by European Space Agency (ESA) funding, Inmarsat’s forthcoming Maritime Safety Data Service (MSDS) for FleetBroadband, delivers an increased data capability over the Inmarsat-4 network, including the Alphasat satellite, providing global coverage and the same reliability of over 99.9 per cent associated with the Inmarsat network. MSDS will continue to offer distress alerting, priority messaging and SafetyNET safety information broadcasts, but also deliver greater data capability than is currently available with Inmarsat C safety services. *All data accessed over MSDS to be captured and stored at new servers. Peter Blackhurst…

The maritime industry is at a crossroads, with a dearth of next-generation talent willing and available for a life at sea, yet increasing demands for efficiency and clarity of operations. At this crossroads lies modern communication technology, the connective tissue that can help to cure many of the industry’s ills, as Frank Coles, President of Inmarsat Maritime, contends. Commercial shipping will always remain a pivotal link in the global transport chain, but the very nature…

Inmarsat Maritime President Frank Coles said the efficiency gains of the “Maritime Industrial Internet” are at hand, if only shipowners can grasp the potential for competitive advantage. The first satellite in the Global Xpress fleet will complete all of its testing by July of this year, with the second and third satellites on schedule to be launched by the close of 2014. The Global Xpress Maritime service is expected to become globally available from the end of the first quarter of 2015.

Intellian introduced three Inmarsat FleetBroadband (FB) networks as the latest additions to its line of satellite communication antenna systems. The FB150, the FB250 and the FB500 comprise a product line supported by Intellian’s industry-leading three year warranty. All three terminals of the new Intellian FB product line include a broad range of IP and networking related value-added features such as IP routing, Firewall capability and vessel fleet tracking. The Intellian FB150 is a satellite communication solution designed to provide global data and voice for business…

Marlink bundles WaveCall Ku-band, Inmarsat FleetBroadband and XChange for seamless communications and full control on board De Poli Tankers. Marlink has completed a series of new VSAT installations aboard De Poli Tankers BV vessels. The recent communications upgrade project was carried out in close co-operation with Maritime Performances BV and started with the installation of Marlink WaveCall Ku-band VSAT services aboard the chemical tanker Miro D. Based near Rotterdam, De Poli Tankers BV is the commercial operator of a fleet of six sophisticated IMO 2 chemical tankers, two LPG tankers and one Ice classed 1A chemical/ethylene tanker. Vessel management is the responsibility of Maritime Performances BV, De Poli's in-house affiliate.

Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a  communications solutions provider, has announced  that it has reached a maritime industry milestone, providing connectivity services to 3,500 ships globally. Globecomm Maritime provides a wide array of connection platforms, from L-band to GSM and VSAT, as well as a suite of value-added software products, aligning its service provision to fast-changing customer needs. This tremendous growth in the maritime market has seen Globecomm connect more than half of its customers over Inmarsat platforms, with the remainder divided between Iridium, VSAT, and GSM technology. Dave Hershberg, Globecomm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer…

Globe Wireless has announced it has reached a significant milestone, surpassing one million GSM minutes per month. Since its launch in April 2009, GlobeMobile has grown to become the world’s largest Maritime GSM network with over 20,000 active subscribers on just over 1,300 vessels. GlobeMobile is a GSM solution providing crew members voice calling and SMS capabilities at affordable rates. GlobeMobile provides complete flexibility for crew members including:  standard voice calls to and from the vessel, SMS messaging and free onboard mobile-to-mobile calling. GlobeMobile can be used with Inmarsat FleetBroadband and VSAT terminals through our unique Globe Wireless built GSM network.

Globe Wireless, a provider of communications, operational and IT solutions, signed a distribution agreement to sell Jotron B120 VSAT antennas to its maritime customers. This will be part of the Globe iFusion VSAT customized turnkey solution, combined with Inmarsat FleetBroadband, to provide high-speed broadband connectivity with true global coverage. The Jotron B120 is an innovative stabilized antenna offering a simple and clean design. Use of the latest technology allows for high performance from very compact and robust RF and electrical components.

Globe Wireless, a provider of communications, operational and IT solutions to the maritime industry, announced the signing of a distribution agreement to sell Jotron B120 VSAT antennas to its maritime customers. This will be part of the Globe iFusion VSAT customized turnkey solution, combined with Inmarsat FleetBroadband, to provide high-speed broadband connectivity with true global coverage. The Jotron B120 is an innovative stabilized antenna offering a simple and clean design. Use of the latest technology allows for high performance from very compact and robust RF and electrical components.

Vizada and Vizada Elite Partner SRH Marine Electronics S.A. have signed a 24-month agreement with Danaos Shipping Co. Ltd to equip the company’s fleet of vessels with a full broadband communications system. The partners will provide 1 GB connectivity over Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminals, connectivity will be further enhanced by Vizada XChange and the Vizada Crew PC for optimal internet usage. Danaos Shipping Co. Ltd is a Greece based ship manager which provides ship management services to one of the world’s largest fleets of containerships…

In its latest initiative to advance the quality, speed, and affordability of broadband data connectivity at sea, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) introduces a new onboard terminal for its mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service, the TracPhone(R) V7-IP. Representing a new generation of enterprise-grade onboard satellite communications equipment, the TracPhone V7-IP features a robust, 3-axis, gyro-stabilized antenna and a completely integrated belowdecks unit that includes an ArcLight(R)…

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) recognizes KHVI for its TracPhone V3, the world's smallest maritime VSAT antenna. The KVH TracPhone V3 is designed to work with KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband satellite network which KVH built to provide customers with an  alternative to the Inmarsat service. Due to the mini-VSAT Broadband network's unique spread spectrum technology (similar to that used in the new high-powered 3G and 4G networks on land), KVH was able to develop the TracPhone V3, a system similar in size and cost to Inmarsat FleetBroadband equipment, but offering service up to ten times faster at broadband speeds of up to 2 Mbps, with airtime rates 1/10th the cost of Inmarsat.