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Wavecall News

07 Jun 2016

Marlink Unites VSAT Portfolio under Sealink Brand

Tore Morten Olsen (Photo: Eric Haun)

Marlink has united its global VSAT offering under its Sealink brand, meaning Sealink will be the single brand name for Marlink’s entire multi-band maritime communication VSAT services portfolio going forward. The Sealink brand strengthens and simplifies Marlink’s customer offering as it covers all VSAT services on Ka, Ku and C-band as well as future HTS based service packages, the company said. The introduction of Sealink as a single brand follows the establishment of the rebranded Marlink on February 25, 2016.

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 Marlink’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 Maridive’s communication capabilities for business, crew and safety by upgrading to WaveCall Plus.

11 Sep 2014

Marlink VSATs Chosen for UASC Containerships

United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has selected WaveCall Plus VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) services from Marlink to provide reliable connectivity for its new build fleet of 17 containerships, first vessel due for delivery by the end of 2014. All 17 new container ships – eleven 14,000 TEU and six 18,000 TEU – are designed to embrace “smart shipping” to reduce fuel use and environmental impact. UASC is deploying various technology solutions to support this, including a web-based fleet management system and electronic document handling systems, in addition to enhancing its crew welfare offering. Wavecall Plus, the global connectivity solution…

08 Sep 2014

Scorpio Orders Marlink VSAT for 75 Newbuilds

Scorpio Ship Management (SSM) has chosen Marlink’s WaveCall Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services for 75 newbuild tankers and bulkers to be delivered throughout 2015 and 2016. Following a separate contract in 2013 to provide VSAT services for 46 newbuildings and upgrading of the existing 27 vessels, this new contract adds into a total of 148 SSM managed vessels that will operate using WaveCall Plus services. Marlink was selected for the original 46 newbuildings and existing fleet upgrade in a competitive bidding process, with WaveCall winning due to its exceptional quality of service during testing. Happy with the performance offered by WaveCall, based on 512kbps uplink and 256kbps downlink, SSM has selected the same service parameters for its 75 new vessels.

29 Jul 2014

Business is Brisk at Posidonia in Athens

Wärtsilä’s New Aframax Tanker Design  emphasizes energy efficiency. It features an optimized hull form to minimize resistance, and an optimized propulsion train with energy saving devices (ESDs) for greater efficiency. Fuel savings have been the primary focus during the development of this design..

In early June, the shipping community met in Athens, Greece for Posidonia 2014. While the focus in Athens tends to be skewed more toward the night life and after hour parties, Maritime Reporter was able to dig out some relevant product and service news from the exhibition center. Wilhelmsen Ship Service (www.wilhelmsen.com/shipsservice) introduced its fuel oil treatment range and integrated welding safety products and services at Posidonia. Engineered to maintain vessel performance and engine efficiency even when slow-steaming or burning low sulfur fuel…

13 May 2014

New WaveCall-Plus VSAT Bundle for MSC Cargo Italy

Photo coutesy of Marlink

The 124 MSC’s vessels will be the first to benefit from AuroraGlobal, the new all-in-one high throughput maritime VSAT offering. MSC Cargo Italy has contracted Marlink to deliver the new WaveCall Plus high-speed Broadband VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) package for its entire fleet of 124 vessels. WaveCall Plus is part of AuroraGlobal, the new multi-band high-speed initiative launched by Airbus Defence and Space in March 2014. Already using VSAT on board its ships, MSC selected…

02 Apr 2014

Airbus Expands VSAT Coverage

Ku-band coverage boosted with Seychelles region extension delivering high-speed data. Airbus Defence and Space has expanded its Ku-band VSAT (Very Small Apperture Terminal) coverage in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), using the Intelsat IS-702 S2 satellite. The new coverage enables improved availability of Pharostar, Sealink and WaveCall VSAT voice and data services for vessels transiting or operating primarily in the Seychelles area, north to Ethiopia and south to Madagascar. Several diverse maritime groups will make use of more available high speed VSAT, including commercial fishing, government, naval, shipping and yachting vessels. An improved Ku-band footprint will also enhance security and anti-piracy efforts in the region.

18 Feb 2014

SkyFile Mail Grows with VSAT and MSS Users

Airbus Defense and Space, the global innovative provider of satellite enabled solutions, reached a fresh record for its dedicated SkyFile Mail software in 2013, with more than 50 million emails sent by some 40,000 mariners worldwide – a 25 percent growth in email volume over the previous year. SkyFile Mail is an intuitive email solution for business and crew working for some of the world’s largest shipping companies. It is a leading messaging application optimized for satcom and the perfect partner for Pharostar, Sealink and WaveCall VSAT services from Airbus Defense and Space. The increased use of SkyFile in 2013 was similar for both VSAT and MSS…

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.

05 Aug 2013

CMA CGM Add New VSAT Services from Marlink

CMA CGM Jules Verne

Marlink has been chosen by the CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container shipping group, to upgrade the majority of its fleet to WaveCall, Marlink’s standardized Ku-band VSAT service. In combination with the XChange solutions platform from Astrium Services, WaveCall will be installed on over 35 CMA CGM vessels, including the CMA CGM Marco Polo, CMA CGM Alexander Von Humboldt and CMA CGM Jules Verne, one of the largest container vessels in the world. As CMA CGM’s fleet covers global trade routes, extensive Ku-band coverage was a key requirement when choosing WaveCall.

23 Apr 2013

Hartmann Reederei Upgrades Fleet Communication Systems

Photo: Hartmann Reederei

German ship operator Hartmann Reederei chose Marlink to supply standardized Ku-band VSAT services to a diversified fleet of 74 vessels for an initial three-year duration. Hartmann Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG is headquartered in Leer, and encompasses the entire value-added chain of shipping, covering all activities in the maritime transport and logistics sector, as well as those in the shipping market. Upgrading its existing Inmarsat E&E services, Hartmann sought a new communications platform to cater for its most important needs: improve the crew retention…

07 Jan 2013

VSAT Communications Upgrade

Marlink bundles WaveCall Ku-band, Inmarsat FleetBroadband and XChange for seamless communications and full control on board De Poli Tankers. Marlink has completed a series of new VSAT installations aboard De Poli Tankers BV vessels. The recent communications upgrade project was carried out in close co-operation with Maritime Performances BV and started with the installation of Marlink WaveCall Ku-band VSAT services aboard the chemical tanker Miro D. Based near Rotterdam, De Poli Tankers BV is the commercial operator of a fleet of six sophisticated IMO 2 chemical tankers, two LPG tankers and one Ice classed 1A chemical/ethylene tanker. Vessel management is the responsibility of Maritime Performances BV, De Poli's in-house affiliate.

10 Oct 2012

Marlink Commits to 24 Hour VSAT Installation

Rapid installation to save shipping companies’ time & budgets. 24 hours is all it takes to get a VSAT up and running, according to the new commitment that Marlink, an Astrium Services company, is making. The established satcom provider has developed a concise antenna installation and commissioning system that will support engineers and crews to have vessels fully connected to Marlink’s WaveCall standardized VSAT service in just 24 hours. “Through our centrally managed global network of field engineers and service partners, Marlink can have a vessel fully connected on VSAT for voice and data traffic in 24 hours or less,” explains Tore Morten Olsen, CEO of Astrium Services Business Communication, Maritime.

05 Jun 2012

New Wavecall Standardized Vsat Portfolio From Marlink

Marlink is presenting its re-developed WaveCall standardized VSAT offering to the worldwide shipping community for the first time during Posidonia 2012. WaveCall services ensure that maritime transport companies can choose affordable connectivity according to different requirements and budgets, backed-up by Marlink’s multi-tier customer and technical support provided by experienced engineers specializing in standardized and customized maritime VSAT. “WaveCall services are already…

07 Feb 2012

Marlink Upgrades VSAT with iDirect

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…

11 Apr 2011

Marlink to Provide VSAT Solution for Scorpio Ship Management

Marlink, the global provider of maritime satellite communications, has recently entered into a new 5-year contract with Scorpio Ship Management s.a.m., the technical arm of the Scorpio Group. As part of the new agreement, Marlink will deliver, install and operate its cutting-edge WaveCall(TM) VSAT solution aboard 17 vessels, providing high-quality, reliable connectivity to support a wide range of applications including vessel management and crew welfare. Marlink's WaveCall(TM) solution will provide each Scorpio vessel with 128 Kbps to 1024 Kbps for shore-to-vessel communications and 128 Kbps to 256 Kbps for vessel-to-shore communications. Each tanker will have access to 1 data and 2 voice lines for business administration and crew use.

03 Feb 2010

Marlink Launches Fleetbroadband Bundles

Marlink has introduced a range of new FleetBroadband Bundles which can be purchased with its two and three year price plans. The new bundles will enable customers to lease equipment from a choice of three different vendors, as well as purchase broadband time for data and voice, all at a fixed monthly cost. Customers of the new bundles take advantage of predictable communications costs. Providing both MSS on-demand services and its own VSAT solutions Sealink and WaveCall to a broad range of customers globally, Marlink is a one-stop-shop for maritime satellite communications. Customers of the new FleetBroadband Bundles will be able to choose from a range of packages as well as hardware from Thrane & Thrane, Addvalue or JRC, to meet their own satellite communications requirements.

22 Oct 2009

Marlink KU-Band Services, North Sea Region

Marlink has expanded its Ku-band coverage to the North Sea. The coverage expansion will enable Marlink to offer WaveCall(T) to customers operating in the region. The introduction of WaveCall(T) in the Northern Europe region will provide significant cost savings to companies requiring VSAT with lower bandwidth. "WaveCall(T) provides always-on, reliable connectivity but with lower costs than Marlink's high-end Sealink(T) solution. For companies only operating in the North Sea region that do not require the exceptionally high bandwidth that Sealink(T) offers, WaveCall(T) is a cost-effective solution," said Tore Morten Olsen, CEO, Marlink.

21 Sep 2009

Marlink Enhanced Wavecall (TM) Services

Photo courtesy Marlink

Marlink, the maritime satellite communications provider, will announce new features for its WaveCall(TM) VSAT solution at Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show. The company has introduced automatic roaming and Committed Information Rates (CIRs) to enable users to seamlessly roam between Ku-band coverage spots as well as benefit from increased bandwidth for Internet browsing and calling. Furthermore, following acquisition of additional satellite capacity, Marlink has been able to enhance its Ku-band services to provide extended coverage in major regions throughout the world.

08 Jan 2009

Marlink Launches Wavecall

Marlink, maritime satellite communications integrator, introduced its WaveCall satellite communications systems for merchant and leisure vessels. One of the new features offered with WaveCall is prepaid Calling Cards. WaveCall uses the Sea Tel(r) Ku-band VSAT 4006 antenna system. The launch of WaveCall by Marlink is facilitated by increased satellite capacity in current coverage areas such as the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean. Marlink is also adding new coverage areas to meet customers' growing need for high bandwidth in day-to-day business at sea. (www.marlink.com)

04 Nov 2008

Marlink Buys WaveCall Brand

Marlink, provider of maritime satellite communications, has agreed to purchase the WaveCall™ brand from Sea Tel®. Marlink will package its maritime VSAT solution and full-service support network with the Sea Tel® 4006 Ku-band antenna system. Sea Tel®'s 4006 Ku-band antenna provides satellite communications specifically in the maritime environment. It is comprised of Above Deck and Below Deck equipment designed to withstand extreme marine conditions and maintain a stable connection, ideal for vessels that require "always-on" satellite communications. WaveCall™ by Marlink provides e-mail, Internet, voice and IP packages for the leisure yachting sector.

09 Nov 2001

Sea Tel Offers High Speed Data

With WaveCall MCM3, Sea Tel offers simultaneous bi-directional high-speed data and voice in one small antenna dome. SeaTel’s coverage includes North America, the North Atlantic, the Caribbean and Europe. The three modems respond to demand by activating one, two or three circuits as required by the data and voice load. The modems have the capacity to offer speeds up the 28.8K with hardware alone and with the SatSpeed compression software embedded, the system can achieve landline modem equivalents up to 144K. Installation requires the mounting of 20in. x 7 in height dome above decks. Below decks there is an RJ45 local area network connection, an RJ11 phone connection and a custom control panel which identifies which modems are operating, signal strength, gateway I.D.

08 Mar 2004

Feature: Losing Contact ... Not an Option

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.