Shipboard Communications News

KVH Industries, Inc. announced today that global ship manager Nordic Hamburg has chosen KVH’s new advanced TracPhone V7-HTS antenna equipment and the AgilePlans subscription-based Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) program to bring fast, global connectivity to its vessels. Installations for 13 vessels have been completed, with plans for an additional 12 through 2018.“The AgilePlans program provides the highest flexibility for our fleet and we were also attracted to KVH’s global coverage…

Maritime connectivity services provider Globecomm has appointed J&E Papadopoulos as its new representative to the Greece and Cyprus shipping markets.J&E Papadopoulos will provide sales and marketing services locally as well as pre- and post-sales support, installation, commissioning and technical services for Globecomm Maritime products in the region.Established in Piraeus in 1968, J&E Papadopoulos SA is a distributor of marine spare parts, representing numerous European and U.S.

A different kind of emission in the compliance spotlight – above and below decks. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment during its 2012, 56th session submitted a draft revised code on noise levels onboard ships. The code set out mandatory noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, cargo blocks and accommodation spaces in an effort to address health and safety issues on board ships, ATB’s and/or tugboats.

Thuraya Telecommunications, a Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) operator, said it has further extended its maritime product portfolio with the launch of Atlas IP, a feature-rich broadband satellite terminal. Thuraya Atlas IP is the second maritime-specific product launched by Thuraya in 2014 and is designed to complement the Thuraya Orion IP broadband terminal by offering a fully-featured voice and data product with additional functionality built in. Designed and manufactured for Thuraya by Addvalue of Singapore, Thuraya Atlas IP is capable of standard IP data transfer at rates up to 444kbps and asymmetric streaming capability of 16kbps-384kbps. Thuraya Atlas IP is available with Thuraya’s range of pricing plans.

KVH TracPhone V3-IP goes fully global for commercial mariners as it pairs up with integrated Iridium OpenPort Broadband Service. Coinciding with the introduction of its new TracPhone® V3-IP satellite communications system, KVH Industries, Inc., announces availability of an integrated service package that pairs its exclusive mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service with the Iridium OpenPort® broadband service for seamless, fully global connectivity. The new TracPhone V3-IP will provide coverage throughout the extensive Ku-band mini-VSAT Broadband global coverage offering, with Iridium OpenPort service extending that to remote regions including the polar areas.

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) and KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) have agreed to offer what the pair is touting as the first-ever, fully global, seamless broadband satellite communications service for the maritime market. Under the agreement, KVH will offer an integrated service package that combines its mini-VSAT BroadbandSM service and the Iridium OpenPort broadband service. “We are enthusiastic that KVH is our first distribution partner to launch Iridium’s new VSAT companion service offering,” said Greg Ewert, executive vice president, global distribution channels, Iridium. “We have optimized the Iridium OpenPort system to seamlessly integrate with a vessel’s VSAT platform.

Delta Wave Communications, LLC, an Elite Stratos Channel Partner is pleased to announce that they have been selected as Stratos’ distribution and installation partner for the new StratosMax II Nomadic WiMax service. With up to 1Mbps service for marine vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond, the service offers unprecedented broadband internet connectivity with land line voice access. StratosMAX leverages emerging WiMAX technology based on 802.16 standards to create a wide area network for long range offshore communications.

to go up, an Inmarsat service provider has claimed. Asad Salameh, President of World‐Link Communications, said ship owners and managers are ready to be sold the real benefits that onboard broadband communications can bring such as improved fuel savings, lower maintenance costs and a happier and better connected shipboard crew complement. “For a market that is coming out of the freeze, concern remains about a slow recovery. More than ever before ship owners and managers have to be sold on the benefits of broad band, and new services being proposed as operational costs remain a major concern,” he said. The maritime communications sector…

Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), a Verestar company, has signed a three-year contract with ResidenSea to become the exclusive telecommunications provider for its new vessel, The World, the first resort community at sea that continuously runs around the globe. MTN was awarded the competitive contract in collaboration with Norwegian agent, General Industry Systems, located in Stavanger, Norway. Specialists in providing communications facilities for all maritime vessels as well as the cruise line industry using total global satellite services, MTN will install its Digital Ship Earth Station (DSES) onboard The World within the next few months.

The advent of electronic chart technology has left ship and boat owners with an unprecedented tool to aid in safe and efficient navigation. But while the electronic advances have swept interest and headlines around the world, they have also created a considerable amount of confusion regarding, for example, when electronic charts can legally replace paper versions. With the notion of clearing the air, MR/EN has spoken with one of the world's leading companies in the field, C-Map, to discuss the ins and outs of new electronic chart technology. Currently, ship owners are focusing on the availability of quality electronic chart data for ECDIS. C-Map, being the largest supplier of charts in digital format, has responded to the requirements by offering worldwide coverage on CD ROM.

The current situation of the German maritime industry is not far from that which has existed for each of the past several SMM exhibitions in Hamburg. The collective group of shipbuilders, repairers and marine equipment product and system suppliers are still widely regarded as one of the most technically capable and technologically advanced in the world, utilizing generations of accrued know-how to deliver safe, efficient and reliable vessels and systems. According to the latest world shipbuilding statistics, Germany ranks fifth in the world in terms of new tonnage built per annum, but with a market share of only four percent and an increasing outflow of business — particularly an outflow of simpler ship-type construction — to lower cost competitors in developing nations and Korea…

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.

Broadband Maritime Corporation -- a telecommunications service provider offering a turnkey VSAT communications solution for real time ship management – announced that Virtek Communication was appointed as its exclusive representative in the Scandinavian market for its new generation shipboard communications solution.

With the countdown to the end of the year drawing to a close, officials in all maritime related businesses are busily preparing for the coming, potential, problems to from the Y2K bug. Today, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) tested the first of several drills with a shipper involving Year 2000 (Y2K) preparations. The test aboard the Neptune Orient Lines' (NOL) APL Japan, a 64,500 gt container vessel, involved the mock failure of computer-aided functions such as engines, steering mechanisms and shipboard communications. The Port Authority of Singapore has spent an estimated $2.6 million on preparing its computer systems.

As the conclusion of 1999 comes quickly and worries surrounding the unknown effects of the Y2K bug grow stronger, more maritime entities around the globe are increasing the pace of testing and compliance. Last week, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) tested the first of several drills with a shipper involving Year 2000 (Y2K) preparations. The test aboard the Neptune Orient Lines' (NOL) APL Japan, a 64,500 gt container vessel, involved the mock failure of computer-aided functions such as engines, steering mechanisms and shipboard communications. "The objectives of the exercise were to test the preparedness of staff from the MPA and NOL, as well as the Y2K contingency plans of both organizations," MPA's Director-General Chen Tze Penn said.