Voice And Data Connectivity News

Intellian received type approval from Inmarsat for its new FB250 and Fleet One L-band terminals, making it one of the first to market with user terminals for operation on Inmarsat’s catalyst L-band network, ELERA. The FB250 is a multi-functional terminal, either acting as a stand-alone primary communications terminal or combining with Intellian’s market-leading GX60NX and GX100NX to create the perfect Fleet Xpress (FX) solution. The Fleet One terminal is designed to provide an easy-to-install…

Marlink entered an agreement with Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) to supply its satellite voice and data connectivity services for use on five adventure cruise ships in the O.A.T. fleet.Marlink will provide the O.A.T. Small Ships with a suite of solutions; equipment, bandwidth and operations to reliably meet and exceed guest voice and data requirements; uninterrupted voice and corporate connectivity to facilitate ship management tasks; and flexible connectivity services to…

Inmarsat has launched Fleet One Global, a service designed to offer basic voice and data connectivity to the maritime market. Fleet One Global is part of the Fleet One range of satcoms services developed for flexibility, reliability and simplicity, aimed at customers with low data needs looking for basic functionality, greater cost and usage control, with the reassurance of a trusted global commercial satellite network. The plug-and-play service delivers 100kbps voice and data at one global rate, eliminating the need for ship owners to use a patchwork of different providers. Fleet One Global achieves 99.9 percent uptime worldwide, ensuring that ships are never out of range for voice calls…

Marlink has been selected to provide Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services for the fleet of the international dredging and offshore contractor Van Oord. The contract is expected to include 30 vessels being supported by Marlink’s customized VSAT services by the end of 2015. Marlink’s VSAT services have provided voice and data connectivity services for three Van Oord vessels as from June 2013. The company is headquartered in Rotterdam and is a contractor for dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy projects.

Globalstar says its Sat-Fi instantly turns any smartphone, tablet or computer into a satellite phone or data device. With Sat-Fi, Globalstar customers can use their existing smartphones and existing phone numbers to send and receive communications over the Company's satellite network, offering seamless voice and data connectivity when beyond the range of cellular. This new technology means that people who find themselves outside of cell coverage, for whatever reason, can use their existing smartphones or computers to always stay connected.

Marlink Upgrades Global Maritime VSAT Service With iDirect; Evolution product line increases efficiency and availability for Marlink customers. VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a company of VT Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), today announced that Marlink, one of the largest maritime VSAT network operators, has upgraded its global service with the integration of iDirect's Evolution® X5 Satellite Router and latest operating software release, iDX 3.0. Vessels operating Marlink's WaveCall™ services have all received the required onboard equipment…

VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a subsidiary of VT Systems Inc, announced that NewWave Broadband Ltd. has ordered $2m in satellite communications products to expand its maritime VSAT service and grow its land-based market. The contract includes the acquisition of multiple iDirect 15000 Series Universal Satellite Hubs, line cards and remote routers. NewWave plans to install iDirect hubs in the United States and northern Europe, expanding its network reach and capacity in an effort to meet rising demand as maritime companies turn from pay-per-use narrowband to flat-fee VSAT broadband. The network will utilize Ku-band satellite capacity from three transponders on Telesat's T11N.

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.

The United States Coast Guard announces the switch to new command, control and communications technology monitoring distress calls throughout Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the West Coast of Washington, north of the Quinault Indian Reservation. Rescue 21 allows the Coast Guard to monitors Digital Selective Calling (DSC) emergency transmissions. When properly registered with a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number and interfaced with a GPS receiver, a DSC distress call provides the Coast Guard a vessel's identity and exact location, greatly improving emergency response. Rescue 21 also includes advanced direction-finding capability, allowing Coast Guard watchstanders to more accurately locate the source of a VHF distress call.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday that on June 30 it began using the new Rescue 21 command, control and communications system along the Alabama, Mississippi and Florida coastlines. General Dynamics C4 Systems, is the prime contractor for development and deployment of the Rescue 21 system. Advanced direction-finding capability, a critical component of Rescue 21, allows Coast Guard watchstanders to more accurately locate the source of a distress call. That capability also allows the Coast Guard to locate the source of hoax calls. Rescue 21 also includes a network of towers to help reduce coverage gaps in coastal areas and ensure more calls get through to the Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard has begun using a new command, control and communications system known as Rescue 21, for search and rescue, marine environmental protection and homeland security missions along the Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida coastlines. Advanced direction-finding capability, a critical component of Rescue 21, allows Coast Guard watchstanders to more accurately locate the source of a distress call. That capability also allows the Coast Guard to locate the source of hoax calls. Rescue 21 also includes a network of towers to help reduce coverage gaps in coastal areas and ensure more calls get through to the Coast Guard. "The system provides a revolutionary leap in enhanced command, control, and communications capabilities," said Capt. Dan Abel, Rescue 21 Project Manager.

COMSAT Mobile Communications' (CMC) Santa Paula, California, earth station is celebrating 25 years of continuous, around-the-clock operations, providing the critical communications link for customers on land, at sea, and in the air. CMC's west coast facility provides Inmarsat satellite communications coverage from western North America, across the Pacific Ocean and into Asia, the Pacific Rim nations, New Zealand, Australia, and the eastern Indian Ocean. The Santa Paula station has served as a principal communications lifeline providing instant communications to ships at sea, aircraft, and to people located in parts of the world where there is no communications infrastructure. For a quarter century, Santa Paula has often provided their sole means of contact with the rest of the world.