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Voice Services News

10 Nov 2021

Iridium Certus 100 Service Launched

(Image: Iridium)

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the commercially availability of its Iridium Certus 100 "midband" service for maritime, land mobile, IoT, aviation and government customers. Iridium Certus 100 provides a blend of capabilities for satellite connectivity, enabling small, low-profile antennas and battery-powered devices designed for maximum mobility, but with IP data speeds that efficiently support sending important pictures, emails and other vital information from remote placesā€¦

05 Oct 2021

Jan De Nul Hires Castor Marine to Connect Its Whole Fleet

Jan de Nulā€™s new crane vessel Les AlizĆ©s - Credit: Castor Marine

Offshore installation and dredging contractor Jan De Nul Group has moved its entire fleet of 82 units to Castor Marineā€™s global VSAT and Iridium connectivity network on a long-term contract.Castor Marine will provide global VSAT internet and Iridium L-Band services to the entire fleet of almost 80 dredgers, offshore construction vessels, crane vessels, and (environmental) support vessels.Castor Marine said Tuesday it had migrated 98% of the fleet within 3 months after contract signing, with up to 6 migrations a day.

04 Jun 2020

Inmarsat Extends Seafarer Support

Ā© Alex Stemmer / Adobe Stock

Satellite communications provider Inmarsat says it continues to ramp up its response to COVID-19, with additional initiatives to improve seafarer wellbeing. These initiatives include further collaboration with ISWAN (International Seafarersā€™ Welfare and Assistance Network) and maritime charities, the launch of a new chatcard and the wider roll-out of a COVID-19 video telemedicine call service.As the pandemic has unfolded, the ompany has worked closely with welfare organizationā€¦

03 Apr 2020

Inmarsat Offering Crews Discounted Voice Calls

Ā© Image'in / Adobe Stock

Inmarsat has formalized a 50% discount for crew voice calling services available for up to 40,000 ships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on seafarer well-being.The maritime satellite service provider is also ensuring that calls made to the SeafarerHelp service provided by welfare organization ISWAN (International Seafarersā€™ Welfare Assistance Network) are available free of charge. In addition, Inmarsat is working with crew healthcare specialist Vikand and software platform provider FrontMā€¦

27 Mar 2020

Connecting Crew During COVID-19

Ā© STOCKSTUDIO / Adobe Stock

Inmarsat Maritime President Ronald Spithout says providing crews with enhanced levels of connectivity and support is critical at this unprecedented time, and offers an insight into the work already underway with welfare organizations to assist seafarers in need.Given Inmarsatā€™s position as the leading provider of maritime VSAT and L-Band services at sea, it is hardly surprising that we have been alert to the direct connection between coronavirus and surging demand for crew voice call and data services.

06 Feb 2018

Elcome Completes Satcom Switchover for LNG Tanker Fleet

(Photo: Elcome)

Elcome International said it has completed a satellite communications retrofit program for a major fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers providing broadband data and voice services. ā€œOur team decommissioned the existing VSAT systems and installed new SAILOR 900 antennas and below-deck systems on 40 ships within four months. Most of the installations were performed at sea, and the others were made at ports in eight different countries,ā€ said Jimmy Grewal, executive director of Dubai-based Elcome International.

03 Oct 2017

Growing the KVH Empire

Martin Kits van Heyningen, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board, KVH

From humble beginnings KVH has evolved rapidly to become a central player in the maritime worldā€™s global Big Data revolution. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News caught up with Martin Kits van Heyningen in Oslo for his take on KVHā€™s current position and future direction. ā€œWe certainly didnā€™t envision that we would be in the high-speed satellite broadband business when we started,ā€ is how Kits van Heyningen, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board, KVH, succinctly summarizes the biggest difference between the company he founded in 1982 versus the one he leads today.

20 Sep 2017

Topaz Signs with Orange for a Maritime Connect Solution

Topaz Commander (Photo: Topaz)

Dubai-based Topaz Energy and Marine has signed an agreement with Orange Business Services for a Maritime Connect solution that connects its fleet at sea and supports the corporate network. Topaz is an offshore support vessel company for the global energy industry. The Orange integrated communications platform increases the efficiency of the fleet, lowers cost and improves the onboard experience for crew. Under a three-year agreement Orange is initially connecting 39 vessels from the Topaz fleetā€¦

01 Nov 2016

Marine VSAT Services for Nakilatā€™s Fleet

Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (ā€œGEEā€) (NASDAQ:ENT) and Radiance Communications are deploying marine VSAT services for Nakilatā€™s fleet of LNG and LPG carriers. GEEā€™s EMC service line and Radiance Communications, an EMC maritime service partner and reseller, are supplying global Ku-band VSAT connectivity and content to enable a full range of internet, data and voice services for the vessels and crew. It includes a high-quality voice-over-IP (VoIP) system for the corporate network to lower the costs of satellite voice calls, as well as VoIP crew calling and an internet café solution for crew with company access control. To date, eight Nakilat ships have been equipped.

22 Aug 2016

Nakilat Upgrades VSAT Service for LNG/LPG Fleet

Photo courtesy of Nakilat

Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatarā€™s liquefied natural gas sector, has entered into a contract with Global Eagle Entertainment Inc.ā€™s Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) service line to provide marine VSAT services for vessels in its fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. Under the contract, Global Eagle Entertainmentā€™s EMC is supplying global Ku-band VSAT connectivity and content to enable a range of internet, data and voice services for the vessels and crew.

30 Mar 2016

Inmarsat Launches Fleet Xpress

Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications, has launched Fleet Xpress; the first globally available, high-speed broadband solution for maritime and offshore operators available from a single communications provider. Fleet Xpress aims to allow ship owners and operators to enhance business intelligence, improve operational efficiency and vessel performance, and provide a host of high-value, crew welfare benefits. Fleet Xpress will also empower third party application providers to enhance existing services to maritime customers, and to develop innovative new applications that will further drive operational efficiencies, ranging from real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics and telemedicine, to security and crew service management tools, among others.

21 Mar 2016

Globecomm Reports Maritime VSAT Uptick

Image: Globecomm

Maritime connectivity provider Globecomm has reported rapid adoption of its new global VSAT service. Globecomm VSAT, powered by iDirect is a high-capacity satellite solution designed to deliver ā€˜industrial strengthā€™ connectivity to fixed and mobile assets on a global basis. The service provides a broad range of high-throughput applications over a robust, flexible and scalable network designed specifically to deliver shared services and private networks to customers in maritime and energy markets.

08 Dec 2015

Marlink Upgrades Maridive OSVs to VSAT Broadband

Egypt headquartered Maridive Group, an international offshore marine and oil support services provider, has chosen to migrate 24 of its Offshore Support Vessels to Marlinkā€™s VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) WaveCall Plus services in addition to one new build vessel. Maridive Group has a globally distributed fleet with an operational footprint covering North & West Africa, the Mediterranean, the Caspian Sea and Latin American countries. The company selected Marlink to upgrade its vessels to VSAT in 2012, and this latest contract adds a further five vessels operating in Venezuela and Brazil, while enhancing Maridiveā€™s communication capabilities for business, crew and safety by upgrading to WaveCall Plus.

13 Aug 2015

Speedcast Selected by Gulf Marine Services

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a global satellite telecommunications service provider, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year communications contract from Gulf Marine Services (GMS). The new dual-beam Ku-band satellite service will provide high-performance broadband connectivity for client office applications and voice services across nine GMS barges. GMS is one of the largest providers of self-propelled, self-elevating accommodation jack-up barges in the world. The vessels work in offshore oilfields, often in harsh weather conditions, and therefore require a reliable and high-quality connection between the vessels and the land-based operations.

05 Aug 2015

Vroon Inks Communications Deal with Speedcast

VOS Shine (Photo: Vroon)

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a global satellite telecommunications service provider, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year communications contract by international shipping company, Vroon. The new Ku-band satellite service will facilitate high-performance broadband connectivity with multi-megabit speeds, providing ā€œhotel experienceā€ Internet facilities for Vroon clients aboard specific categories of vessels. These include subsea-support vessels (10-25 passengers)ā€¦

11 Feb 2015

MTN Expands Cruise Client Base

Photo courtesy of MTN Communications

MTN Communications (MTN) has expanded its cruise client base with three additional operators leveraging enhanced services for passenger, crew and corporate communications. MTN provides products, solutions and content to address each lineā€™s passenger segment with Internet and calling communications, entertainment and content. Noble Caledonia specializes in ā€œsmall ships delivering big experiences.ā€  With the goal of generating lasting memories for like-minded travelers, the operator revolves its itineraries around world eventsā€¦

21 Jan 2015

Van Oord Chooses Marlink VSAT Services

Marlink VSAT for Van Oord fleet. (Photo: Marlink)

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 Marlinkā€™s customized VSAT services by the end of 2015. Marlinkā€™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.

05 Nov 2014

SpeedCast Delivers Custom Solution to Allseas

Pieter Schelte (Image: Allseas)

Satellite telecommunications service provider SpeedCast International Limited has been awarded a satellite service contract by Allseas Group S.A., an offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction company. The contract covers Allseasā€™ flagship vessel, the Pieter Schelte, one the worldā€™s largest ships, which took to the seas for the first time for sea trials in September. The satellite service provides broadband connectivity for mission-critical communications between the vessel and the land-based operations.

27 Oct 2014

Connecting Fishermen to shore

Fishermen on board Chinese coastal fishing vessels can now keep in constant contact with friends, family and colleagues thanks to a brand new application developed exclusively for Inmarsatā€™s Fleet One service. Created by Beijing Marine communication and Navigation Co. (MCN Beijing), Inmarsatā€™s largest Distribution Partner in the Peopleā€™s Republic of China have launched a bespoke chat application for fishermen called ???, or Fish Chat. Fish Chat is the first Fleet One application for the Asian fishing market that has been tested and certified by Inmarsat. ā€œWe are delighted that MCN Beijing has developed an application which is fit for purpose for the needs and requirements of the local market and optimises the Fleet One service for their customersā€ said Ronald Spithoutā€¦

15 Sep 2014

Seasat Wins Contract from Maersk Supply Services

Seasat A/S, the Danish communications services provider, specialized in delivering reliable broadband, television and voice services for the maritime market announces today that it has been awarded a multiyear contract with Maersk Supply Service. The contract covers the delivery of 60+ VSAT systems with broadband airtime from Eutelsat and SpeedCast, and is based on SAILOR 900 antennas from Cobham SATCOM. The contract runs for 36 months - Seasat A/S will install and commission the systems as well as provide service and support to the vessels. With this service setup, Maersk Supply Service will be able to enhance crew welfare and ship to shore connectivity in a global footprint.

24 Jul 2014

Seafarers Beware ā€“ Social Media Ahead

Photo courtesy of Videotel

Videotel, part of KVH Industries, Inc., has launched a new program, Social Media at Sea, addressing the unique dangers of inappropriate use of social media by shipboard personnel and providing simple solutions to ensure that seafarers understand the dangers - and benefits - of this onboard revolution. Since the use of the Internet has now become commonplace on many vessels, seafarers often have much more freedom to communicate with friends and family using social media tools.

13 Aug 2014

MTN Extends Prestige Cruise SatCom Partnership

MTN Communications (MTN) says it has extended the companies' 12-year relationship and will be introducing new communications services to its three-ship Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet and five-ship Oceania Cruises operation. MTN explains that it delivers a complete communications solution including MTN Worldwide TV (MTN TV), Internet and voice services for passengers and crew, including the maritime-specific voice app for calling and messaging onboard and ship-to-shore. Prestige pioneered the launch of this app ā€“ MTN OceanPhone Mobile ā€“ onboard several of its vessels. OceanPhone Mobile leverages vessel Wi-Fi infrastructure and the reliable MTN network so crew can call and message with family and friends using their own smartphones and tablets.

10 Sep 2014

MN 100: KVH Industries, Inc.

KVH Industries is a manufacturer of solutions that provide global high-speed Internet, television, and voice services via satellite to mobile users at sea and on land. These solutions include the mini-VSAT Broadband network, TracPhone satellite communications antenna systems, and TracVision satellite television antenna systems. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL. KVHā€™s mission is to connect in-motion customersā€¦