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Inmarsat Services News

19 Oct 2021

The Satcom ‘Highway’ will Enable Maritime Digitalization & IoT Solutions

Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime. Image courtesy Inmarsat

Global maritime communications powerhouse Inmarsat earlier this year announced a pair of new tech offerings – ORCHESTRA and ELERA – that are touted as ‘the communications network of the future.’ We caught up with Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime, for additional insights on how these services will power the future of maritime IoT.As digitalization and IoT continues to drive innovation across the maritime sector, satellite communication will serve as the conduit, and smaller, faster and cheaper is the mantra.

05 Apr 2017

Inmarsat FleetBroadband Moves Towards IMO GMDSS Nod

Photo: Inmarsat

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.

12 Aug 2015

More Flexibility for Oceana, Terra Range of Terminals

Beam Communications, leading global manufacturer of satellite communications equipment for Iridium and Inmarsat services has recently announced changes to the Oceana and Terra range of terminals. Going forward, all Oceana 400 and Oceana 800 terminals will be able to use any standard Inmarsat GSPS (for IsatPhone 2), IsatPhone Link or FleetPhone SIM cards, when previously they were only available for use with the FleetPhone service. Removing the profiling of the SIM will allow customers to utilise the Oceana terminals in different market sectors without restriction, and not just at sea. Reiny Gajewski, Vice President of Global Sales at Beam Communications said, ‘We want to assist the channel in making these products less confusing.

25 Nov 2013

MOL Migrates 100 Ships to Inmarsat FB

Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has announced that global shipping company MOL Ship Management Co. Ltd. have commenced migrating over 100 vessels to the FleetBroadband 6 gigabyte (GB) plan for the primary purpose of enhancing both crew welfare and business operations. The decision to upgrade was made following a trial period on several selected vessels. MOL Ship Management Co. Ltd. has deployed Inmarsat services on its vessel fleet for more than ten years and has been using FleetBroadband since April 2010, gradually increasing its usage since the initial installation. “Any FleetBroadband user can quickly and easily upgrade their plans without additional capital investment and data usage can be shared across vessels…

01 Oct 2012

Courageous Chinese Crew Wins Inmarsat-sponsored Award

A cargo vessel operated by China Navigation Company helped rescue 246 people & wins a Lloyd's List Global Award sponsored by Inmarsat. The Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award was presented by President of Inmarsat Maritime, Frank Coles, to Captain Vimar Vidanagamage, representing the China Navigation Company, at a ceremony in London on 26 September 2012. The Chinese ship MV Kwangtung, was diverted using the Amver system to save the lives of passengers from the ferry Rabaul Queen which sank in the Solomon Sea in early February and was at the centre of a search and rescue operation that lasted two days. The awards judges noted that the…

08 Aug 2012

MISC Berhad Chooses Immarsat XpressLink for Fleet

Inmarsat wins contract with Malaysian shipping giant MISC to outfit 46 ships with XpressLink SatCom systems. The XpressLink solution from Inmarsat is a fully integrated and managed combination of VSAT and market-leading FleetBroadband(TM) delivering unlimited data availability across the world's oceans. It includes an option for MISC Berhad to double its available bandwidth at a pre-determined monthly rate when Inmarsat's Global Xpress(R) constellation becomes commercially available from 2014. Inmarsat XpressLink combines Inmarsat's high volume Ku-band VSAT system with the versatility of FleetBroadband in a single package. The integration…

08 Jun 2012

Fleet Broadband – 30,000 Terminals Activated

This milestone was reached with the installation of a FleetBroadband 500(TM) on Olympic Future, a Greek-flagged crude oil tanker, by Inmarsat's distribution partner OTESAT-Maritel. Springfield Shipping, the vessel's management company, selected FleetBroadband as part of an integrated communications solution developed by OTESAT-Maritel. "This solution is an optimal match for our ICT needs, and we are pleased with the comprehensive service offering and first-class support that we have received," said a company spokesperson. Frank Coles, President of Inmarsat Maritime, said, "This is a significant achievement that yet again demonstrates the high regard and continued demand for FleetBroadband in the maritime industry.

09 Jun 2011

Imtech Receives Gold Certification

Radio Holland Connect, the connectivity competence center of Imtech Marine, has been awarded the Gold accreditation in the Inmarsat Connect Accreditation program.  Inmarsat introduced the Connect Partner Program to recognize and award high-achieving service providers. The Program is tiered into gold, silver and bronze, and accreditation is based on meeting clearly defined qualification criteria for sales, customer service and knowledge of Inmarsat services.

02 Jul 2010

Thrane & Thrane to Launch New VSAT Antenna

The SAILOR 900 VSAT, a new Ku-band VSAT antenna, will be launched by Thrane & Thrane at the forthcoming SMM 2010 exhibition in Hamburg this September. Designed in-house by Thrane & Thrane's experienced engineers, SAILOR 900 VSAT represents a leap-forward in VSAT antenna performance and benefits from the high reliability, build quality and functionality that has made SAILOR the leading name in the world of maritime communications. "SAILOR 900 VSAT is an important milestone in our strategy to support the maritime broadband market with high quality products," comments Casper Jensen, Vice-President Maritime Business Unit, Thrane & Thrane.

30 Mar 2010

KVH TracPhone, Broadband for DSD Shipping

DSD Shipping AS of Stavanger, Norway, is the latest commercial maritime operation to take advantage of the broadband access and affordable service offered by KVH Industries, Inc. via its compact TracPhone V7 satellite communications system and the mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service. DSD Shipping recently completed a successful trial on the Stavanger Viking and is now moving ahead with the installation of KVH's 24-inch (60 cm) TracPhone V7 antenna on its nine remaining vessels. Once all the installations are complete, DSD Shipping crew members will have multiple voice lines along with broadband Internet, e-mail, and data access onboard as they travel throughout the mini-VSAT Broadband network's expanding global coverage area.

25 Sep 2009

Clipper Tankers Selects KVH

Clipper Marine Services A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, is the latest commercial maritime operation to take advantage of the broadband access and affordable service offered by KVH Industries (Nasdaq: KVHI) and its compact TracPhone V7 satellite communications system and the mini-VSAT Broadband service. In the coming months, 22 of Clipper Tankers’ vessels will be equipped with KVH’s 24-inch (60 cm) TracPhone V7 antenna along with multiple voice service lines and broadband Internet, e-mail, and data access throughout the mini-VSAT Broadband network’s expanding global coverage area. Clipper will continue to benefit from its Inmarsat systems and service, however, thanks to the TracPhone V7’s full compatibility with Dualog software.

12 May 2009

Globe Wireless Iridium OpenPort

Globe Wireless announced that it has concluded a testing program for the new Iridium OpenPort maritime satcom system and is delivering units to customers. As the Charter Distribution partner for the Iridium OpenPort service, Globe conducted an independent testing of Iridium OpenPort to verify that the product meets the highest degree of reliability. “We have given the Iridium OpenPort system a vigorous shakedown,” said Frank Coles, President and CEO of Globe Wireless. Globe Wireless ran Iridium OpenPort through a full battery of performance and environmental tests to confirm Iridium OpenPort ruggedness for the harsh marine environment, including stress testing to verify performance during high traffic loading conditions.

20 Apr 2009

Vizada Inmarsat, Distribution Agreement

Vizada, a satellite communications provider, and Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, have concluded final negotiation for Vizada’s distribution of Inmarsat services over the next five years. These include “existing & evolved services” (Fleet, GAN, Swift, etc.), new generation IP-based broadband services including BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband, as well as leased services. The new agreement ensures a continuation of the long-standing relationship that Vizada and Inmarsat have shared as partners for over three decades. In 2008 Vizada’s Inmarsat mobile satellite activities represented close to 40% of Inmarsat wholesale revenues.

26 Nov 2003

Xantic and GMPCS Sign Agreement

In a mutually beneficial strategic alliance, satcom provider Xantic has announced the signing of an agreement with GMPCS Communications Inc. for the delivery of various enhanced services in the United States and beyond. Under the terms of the new agreement, GMPCS will play a leading role in hosting Xantic’s Regional BGAN service in North America. GMPCS will deliver this service to companies and organisations with an international network, especially those working in the Middle East and North Africa. This move also represents a strategic step towards the future, when the BGAN service will become available. In a further development, this month will see GMPCS start delivery of its own messaging service called GMPCS Speed Mail.

21 Jan 2004

Marlink Launches Broadband Global Area Network Service

Marlink today announced that it now offers a full range of Inmarsat services for customers requiring flexible and efficient land mobile communications over satellite. Marlink's new Regional Broadband Global Area Network (Regional BGAN) offers reliable, 24-hour a day Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity at data speeds of up to 144kbps via a secure channel. The service is available in Europe, Asia, and northern and central Africa. The service affords enterprise customers, governments, global and regional businesses, as well as educational facilities the ability to securely extend their corporate networks and access the Internet, via satellite, regardless of the local communications infrastructure.

08 Mar 2004

Feature: Losing Contact ... Not an Option

Maritime communications is an estimated $1 billion industry, encompassing ship operators, merchant fleets, governments and private yacht owners. There is arguably no more quickly evolving technical sector in the maritime market than the satellite communications niche. Safety, operational efficiency and quality of life onboard vessels of all type and size today more than ever depends on clear, reliable and cost effective satellite communication services and products. The following reports on recent advances from major service, product and system suppliers. The year started with news that Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company, would roll-out its high speed satellite broadband capability for the maritime industry.

07 Feb 2002

Inmarsat Opens D.C. Office

Inmarsat Ventures plc., announced the opening of their first U.S.-based operations with an office located in Washington, D.C. Inmarsat will execute their North American operations strategy through the new office following the October 2001 legislation extending the ORBIT Act deadline for the company's initial public offering, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling granting access rights for several Inmarsat partners. The legislation and FCC ruling will enable businesses in the U.S. to benefit from Inmarsat's robust and reliable high-speed data and voice communications services through Inmarsat partners. As a former Intergovernmental Organization…

27 Mar 2001

Telenor to Acquire COMSAT

Telenor of Norway and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT) announced that Telenor will acquire LMGT's COMSAT Mobile Communications operations for $116.5 million in cash. The acquisition, which positions Telenor as a major global satellite mobile operator, is subject to regulatory approvals. COMSAT Mobile, with annual revenues in excess of $100 million, provides global mobile communications solutions to the maritime, land mobile and aeronautical communities, and offers data, voice, fax, telex and video capabilities via the Inmarsat satellite constellation. Telenor's purchase of COMSAT Mobile operations also includes two earth station facilities in Southbury, Connecticut, and Santa Paula, California. Linking the two U.S.

14 Jun 2002

Xantic Launches ChatCard Reload

Xantic has announced a major extension of ChatCard, its all-in-one calling solution for Inmarsat services. development, the new ChatCard Reload service offers a web-enabled reloading function. directly on the internet, offering significant savings in both time and money. First released in 2001, Xantic's ChatCard calling solution proved an instant success. cards and services. The effects of crew being able to contact home in terms of morale were also clear. ChatCard Reload takes the benefits of cost control and reduced administration to a new level. companies need to buy fewer cards and have less in stock. were used, ChatCard Reload allows the cards to be recharged over and over again. The regular ChatCards can also be reloaded.

22 Jul 2003

Vector Maritime Announce Satcom Partnership Agreements

Vector Maritime Services has signed a partnership agreement with France Telecom for the provision of all Inmarsat Services including Inmarsat A, B, C, mM and Fleet. “We selected France Telecom because of their reputation for quality and working with their partners to provide the best customer service” said Paul Ashton. At the same time Vector have announced a partnership agreement with Broadband Maritime for the provision of VSAT services to ships. Broadband Maritime provide a global VSAT service for a low all-inclusive flat rate per month. Vector are also pleased to welcome Claire Mercer as Director of Airtime Sales, responsible for both Inmarsat and VSAT services. Claire’s career includes Nera and Marconi was previously with Xantic as Airtime Sales Manager.

22 Jan 2003

Xantic To Offer Fleet 33, Fleet 55 Services Globally

Xantic has become the first company to announce the availability of the new Fleet 33 and Fleet 55 services. Last Friday a contract was signed with Nera for upgrades of both Xantic Land Earth StationsLES’s in Holland (Burum) and Australia (Perth). The services will be available early April and will be provided in the 4 Ocean regions. At the same time Xantic’s Fleet 77 service will be enhanced by the addition of a 9.6k fax channel. Fleet 33 / Fleet 55 are the new Inmarsat services specifically targeted at smaller vessels who have data requirements. Prime segments include yachts, fishing, coast guards and coastal commercial coastal vessels operating within the Inmarsat spot beams.

22 Jan 2003

Nera and Xantic Enable New Communication Services

communication services for the maritime market. upgrade program with Nera. operation in April this year. areas. ships. solutions onboard larger ocean going vessels. vessels. maritime Inmarsat services. to benefit of the improved maritime access to data services. are out at sea. solutions," says Terje Ask Henriksen, President Nera SatCom.