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Personal Communications News

05 Jul 2022

Maritime Communications: Easier, Faster, Cheaper

(Photo: David Clark Company)

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

12 Jan 2015

Ferry Safety in the Developing World

Ferry Design Winner in the 2013 Contest

A convergence of forces makes for market opportunities for new safe ferry systems in the developing world. Need, policy, and funding are poised to provide a moment of opportunity. The expanding global economy has resulted in economic and population growth in developing world cities, resulting in horrendous road congestion. In response, governments and businesses have begun planning for intra-urban ferries wherever possible. Ferries in the developing world have a deserved reputation for being unsafe.

02 Jan 2014

Five Minutes With: Tore Morten Olsen, Astrium Services

Astrium Services took a survey of seafarer’s usage of crew communication solutions in the commercial shipping sector to establish a picture of mariner communications requirements. According to Tore Morten Olsen, Head of Maritime Services, Astrium Services, the survey was illuminating in more ways than one, helping to shed light on modern comms usage for onboard business and personal reasons. MLC 2006 is here. What is your sense that ship operators and owners will incorporate an increased availability of communications solutions for seafarers? The MLC asks for “reasonable access to ship-to-shore telephone communications, and email and Internet facilities, where available.” The wording is quite soft. Plus it is located in the non-mandatory guidelines. So there’s some room for interpretation.

09 Sep 2013

SMSGlobal CrewCommCenter Installations Surpass 3,000 Vessel Milestone

SMSGlobal Ltd., a provider  of personal communications for the global maritime industry, today announced that the number of vessels now equipped with its CrewCommCenter has reached 3,000. CrewCommCenter creates an onboard Internet Café, allowing seafarers to stay in touch with family and friends without interfering with the ship's official business communications. The milestone is doubly significant as SMSGlobal marks its tenth year in the maritime industry. Today, around the globe, more than 120,000 seafarers use CrewCommCenter to exchange approximately 2,200,000 messages with over 1,300,000 friends and loved ones on-shore each month. “This milestone is a testament to CrewCommCenter and cements it as the crew communications solution of choice,” said Capt.

21 Feb 2013

Astrium Crew Survey Reveals SatCom State of Play

A crew communications survey carried out by Astrium Services reveals that a growing number of seafarers see on board Wi-Fi connectivity as essential in order to use their own smartphones, tablets and laptops aboard ships. Social media, especially Facebook was highlighted as one of the most popular web destinations for crews whilst it was also revealed that many seafarers are prepared to pay for connectivity. The Crew Communications 2012 Survey, which was commissioned by Astrium Services to fill the market gap in up-to-date data on crew communications requirements and supported by consultants Stark Moore McMillan, questioned 960 Filipino seafarers during Q3 & Q4 2012. 12% of those surveyed were officers and 88% were general crew.

19 Nov 2012

GlobeMobile Surpasses One Million GSM Minutes per Month

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.

17 May 2012

Iran, Sanctions & You

The primary focus of last year’s annual update, which appeared in the April 2011 issue, was U.S. efforts to tighten economic sanctions against Iran. Over the past year, U.S. pressure on Iran has intensified. Syria also has been a target of new U.S. sanctions, while the sanctions against Libya imposed in early 2011 have been eliminated for all practical purposes by a series of general licenses. Our 2012 update concentrates on these key U.S. developments, but readers should be aware that these were not the only recent changes to U.S. and international sanctions programs.

22 Apr 2002

Iridium Introduces Crew Calling

Iridium Satellite LLC announced the availability of crew calling services for the maritime industry. Iridium's crew calling solution simultaneously supports pre-paid calling for individual crew members and subscription services for a vessel's official communications. Iridium's new crew calling program allows vessel owners and operators to provide both official and personal communications from a single phone. Vessel operators can provide pre-paid scratch cards to individual crew members to allow for personal calling. For official business, the captain and crew can use the same phone for subscription-based calls. Beginning immediately, Iridium will offer the new crew calling services through its global network of service providers.

30 Aug 2004

Telenor Purchases GMPCS Personal Communications

Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway purchased GMPCS Personal communications, Inc., based in Pompano Beach, Florida. Founded in 1996, GMPCS Personal Communications is a full service provider of global mobile personal communications via satellite. The company is a supplier of equipment, accessories, and value-added solutions and serves many Fortune 500 and Global 1000 corporations. The company realized revenues in excess of $23 million in 2003, a growth of more than 60 percent over 2002 figures.

10 May 2005

GMPCS Places Order for Broadband Terminals

GMPCS Personal Communications placed an initial order with Hughes Network Systems for 1,000 HNS 9201 broadband satellite IP terminals for use with Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) mobile satellite service. The deal with Hughes makes GMPCS the first satellite communications service provider to place an order for the terminals that will usher in the new global broadband service anticipated to begin in late 2005. The capabilities of BGAN will include the delivery of Internet and intranet content and solutions, LAN and WAN connectivity, video on demand, videoconferencing, fax, e-mail, phone and local area network access at speeds of up to 492 kbps.