Q&A with Bo Norton, Telenor Satellite Services
MR: What are the top three or four factors driving your offerings to the marine business today? Norton: Maritime customers across the board want increased bandwidth that will enable IP applications — from e-mailing to Web surfing and data downloads. Commercial maritime companies are also focusing on ways to make their satellite communications at sea a "business enhancer" in order to make their ships "floating extensions" of the company's LAN or WAN. At the same time, we are also seeing a decisive move by ship management companies to cut operating costs and selecting communications solutions that they can both use as a business tool on board the vessel and a way to improve crew morale and welfare…
SATCOM Battle Heats Up
The evolution of satellite communication use at sea closely mirrors that of land-based communication trends: a never-ending quest for speed, reliability and lower costs. While it is foolhardy to select this or any other single technology as the one with the greatest impact on the maritime industry, a strong case could be made for satellite communication. Prior to the introduction of radio, maritime communication was generally limited to line-of-sight visual signaling during clear weather, plus noise-makers such as bells and foghorns. The advent of radio greatly reduced the isolation of ships during emergencies and was quickly responsible for saving thousands of lives. The first ship-to-shore, two-way radio conversation reportedly occurred in 1922, between Deal Beach, N.J., and the S.S.
