Ronald Spithout News

With a rapid evolution of communication connectitivity need, Inmarsat launched I-6 F1, the first of seven new Inmarsat satellites to be launched by 2024, a key piece of the satcom giant's platform to deliver enhanced ELERA (L-band) and Global Xpress (Ka-band) for Indo-Pacific.Inmarsat confirmed the successful launch of its first Inmarsat-6 satellite (I-6 F1) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.The Inmarsat-6s (I-6) are Inmarsat’s first ever hybrid L- and Ka-band satellites…

Global maritime communications powerhouse Inmarsat earlier this year announced a pair of new tech offerings – ORCHESTRA and ELERA – that are touted as ‘the communications network of the future.’ We caught up with Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime, for additional insights on how these services will power the future of maritime IoT.As digitalization and IoT continues to drive innovation across the maritime sector, satellite communication will serve as the conduit, and smaller, faster and cheaper is the mantra.

Inmarsat sponsored a new report which explores the future of seafaring to 2050, a report that offers not just insights on connectivity, rather recommendations on how shipping, training institutions and welfare services can respond to the changing needs of tomorrow’s seafarers.Dubbed ‘A fair future for seafarers?’, the report was prepared by maritime consultancy Thetius. While published as the world still struggles with the impact of COVID-19, the report suggests epidemics and pandemics may become more common…

Ship data consumption is booming, and as digitalization and data trends increasingly drive the maritime world, Inmarsat celebrated a pair of milestones, hitting the 10,000 vessel mark on Fleet Xpress installations and launching its "Fleet Data Academy."Traffic DoublesAccording to Inmarsat, the growth in Fleet Xpress now includes the world’s leading container ship and tanker owners, such as MOL, K-Line and Hapag-Lloyd, offshore support giants like Bourbon, Tidewater and Maersk Supply, as well as growing numbers of yachts, passenger ships and fishing boats.

Hyundai Global Services (HGS) has signed a contract to deliver its Smart Ship and Satellite Communications package for up to 15 vessels for South Korean shipping company KSS Line.The Smart Ship and Satellite Communications package is a combination of the Integrated Smart Ship (ISS) solution – an IoT platform for ships, developed by HHI Group to support vessel operation and device optimization – supported by Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress and digital solution Fleet Connect. This achievement is a direct result of a collaboration between HGS…

Challenge for start-ups and SMEs will fund and test application that helps improve the safety of deck operations, minimizes fatigue on board, reduces administration on board and improves overall crew welfare.Mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat has joined forces with Shell Shipping and Maritime and maritime digital consultancy Thetius to launch a new ‘Open Innovation Challenge’ for start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The challenge aims to identify technology that can benefit crew safety…

A new report published by satellite communications provider Inmarsat examines the ways technology can benefit crew safety, health and wellbeing at sea, at a moment when COVID-19 has exposed the welfare of seafarers to global scrutiny.The report, "Welfare 2.0: How can the next generation of technology enable better crew safety, health and wellbeing at sea?", has been prepared by consultancy Thetius and follows an earlier "Trade 2.0" report focusing on the impact new technologies…

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 Seafarers’ 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 organization…

A new study, ‘A quiet revolution - the maritime innovation ecosystem in Japan’, explores the commitments to Internet of Things (IoT)-based ship and crew management already made by corporate Japan, then goes on to offer unique insights into the country’s emerging start-up culture.The report, sponsored by Inmarsat is the first in a series of in-depth profiles into maritime technology and start-ups in specific countries. It builds on ‘Trade 2.0: How start-ups are driving the next generation of maritime trade’…

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 Seafarers’ Welfare Assistance Network) are available free of charge. In addition, Inmarsat is working with crew healthcare specialist Vikand and software platform provider FrontM…

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 Inmarsat’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.

New research into maritime startups concludes that higher bandwidth connecting ships to shore at lower costs is empowering a new breed of single-minded innovators to bring the true benefits of digitalization to the shipping and offshore sectors, according to a report conducted for Inmarsat by UK GovTech venture firm and research house, PUBLIC, The report, ‘Trade 2.0: How Startups are driving the next generation of maritime trade’, co-authored by Nick Chubb and Leonardo Zangrando…

A contract signed in London at the end of last month by Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT formalizes arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.The SRH Delta platform, which includes chart updates, publications and notices of mariners, will be available for L-band transmission to any FleetBroadband user equipped with the new, dedicated bandwidth…

Inmarsat launches Crew Xpress, a new service for crew available on Fleet Xpress.Connectivity of ships at sea is starting to grow at pace with the evolution of internet connectivity on shore, with the dual needs of data for ship and fleet operations and crew connectivity as the drivers Crew Xpress includes a managed Wi-Fi solution ‘Fleet Hotspot’, a leased antenna, a business use data package, automated billing and a usage revenue recovery scheme to incentivize ship managers to…

A new satellite device that combines the Inmarsat Fleet Xpress Network Service Device (NSD) with the RedPort Optimizer Enterprise satellite router and VoIP gateway was launched by RedPort Global.The single rackmount appliance will manage ship networks with satellite broadband routing, VoIP connectivity and crew services, and replaces at least three pieces of hardware that were previously required for Fleet Xpress installations.The innovative RedPort Optimizer Enterprise NSD for Inmarsat Fleet Xpress gives satellite service providers and ship operators an all-­in-­one solution…

Satellite communications provider Inmarsat has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Hellenic Space Agency (HSA) to allow greater collaboration on research and potential technology development.The agreement, which will include a focus on satellite projects related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the maritime sector, was signed this week at the international shipping event Posidonia 2018 in Athens by Inmarsat’s Maritime President Ronald Spithout and Christodoulos Protopapas…

The 5,000th ship installation of Inmarsat Fleet Xpress, the world’s only high-speed, globally-available Ka-band VSAT service designed for mobility and available from a single operator, is set to be completed by the close of the month.Following its launch in March 2016, Fleet Xpress has emerged as the market-leading pathway to digital transformation as shipping companies seek to deliver improved vessel and fleet efficiency, boost profitability and enhance seafarer wellbeing.The latest data compiled by the respected, specialist market analyst, Euroconsult, indicates that six out of ten VSAT installations undertaken in the  first half of…

Satellite communications services provider Inmarsat says that "in an extraordinary level of service uptake surpassing expectations," its Fleet Xpress service has secured commitments covering in excess of 10,000 ships within 12 months of launch. Fleet Xpress delivers a fully integrated dual capability of high speed, high capacity services (Global Xpress) together with high reliability safety-level services (FleetBroadband) in a single commercial package available anywhere in the world. "The demand for Fleet Xpress has been unprecedented since its launch at the end of March 2016, demonstrating that the market has been truly ready for the connected ship and the network supporting maritime business applications," said Ronald Spithout, President Inmarsat Maritime.

Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT.L) has responded to demand for its ground-breaking Fleet Xpress service by boosting from six to 33 the number of ports where a complete service installation with a flat fee is available. Fleet Xpress installation will now be available at 12 Asia Pacific ports, 11 in the Europe Middle-East and Africa region, and 10 ports in the Americas, with all work undertaken by Inmarsat-certified engineers. Inmarsat’s enhancement of its installation capabilities is part of the company’s strategy to support the rapid global adoption of the unique Fleet Xpress service…

Satellite communications services provider Inmarsat said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), establishing a relationship to leverage the ‘smart ship’ connectivity offered by Fleet Xpress at the vessel construction stage. The agreement envisages the South Korean yard installing Inmarsat-approved terminal hardware and offering applications to cover remote machinery diagnostics and CCTV services, to leverage the satellite communications platform’s capabilities from the moment the ship is delivered.

Marlink said it has migrated Aker BioMarine’s Antarctic krill harvester fleet support ship, La Manche, to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service. The system provides a boost to crew communication facilities on board as well as enables vessels to benefit from improved business intelligence and remote access to the vessel’s IT network. The service uses the XChange Universal Remote Access (URA) solution, one of Marlink’s many Value Added Services available on Fleet Xpress. “Fleet Xpress has transformed our communication capabilities aboard La Manche.

Inmarsat and Intellian have signed an outline agreement that will support enhancements to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband service for the next decade and beyond. The new agreement will see Intellian design and manufacture a new generation of FleetBroadband terminals that will support the existing I-4 network alongside the major advances coming with Inmarsat’s sixth generation satellite constellation, the first of which is scheduled for launch in 2020. The next generation terminals will be significantly lower cost and feature a host of new capabilities, including much faster throughput speeds.

While debates rage in regards to safety, insurance and cyber security, the tech powering autonomous maritime operations continues to power ahead.Advances in sensor technology, data analytics and bandwidth-to-shore are fundamentally changing the way shipping works. And as operations are digitalized, they become more automated, Dr. Pierre C. Sames, Director of Group Technology & Research at class society DNV GL, has stated.Governments around the world are looking into unmanned shipping…