Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Internet Services News

29 Jan 2024

Designing Ships Around Emissions: The Right Path or a Fork in the Road?

© xtock / Adobe Stock

When discussing ship design, the maritime industry has been tossing around a number of new terms and definitions. Sustainability, alternative fuel “ready”, digitization and lifecycle are a few of the terms becoming more commonplace amid the industry’s search for zero emissions solutions. As IMO MEPC 80 meetings push emissions reduction to meet “well to wake” requirements, we will learn much of the challenge is tied to energy and infrastructure ashore. Electrification and the development…

26 Dec 2023

NYK’s Offshore Wind CTV Operator Secures ClassNK Certification

Rera AS CTV for offshore wind (Credit: NYK)

NYK Group’s Hokuyo Kaiun has received certifications from ClassNK for the safety management system (SMS) of its crew transport vessel (CTV) for the offshore wind industry.The certifications, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, were obtained by combining the experience of Hokuyo Kaiun, which operates and manages the CTV Rera As for the Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm in Hokkaido Prefecture, with the knowledge of NYK.This certification will enable Hokuyo Kaiun, which mainly operates towing vessels in Japan…

28 Nov 2023

First Triple LEO Network Established for Polar Cruise Ship

The installation is the first at the North Pole to combine Marlink’s Sealink GEO VSAT, with Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Iridium LEO services. Picture © PONANT – Julien Fabro.

Digital network provider Marlink has completed the integration of internet services on Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot to provide three LEO solutions for the ship’s polar itineraries.The installation is the first in the maritime sector to combine Marlink’s Sealink GEO VSAT, with Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Iridium LEO services. The agreement with Ponant reflects Marlink’s ability to provide guaranteed throughput VSAT services with emerging high speed, low latency LEO services.The…

25 Sep 2023

KCC to Pilot Starlink Internet Service at Sea

Baru, first vessel of the KCC fleet to be outfitted with Starlink (Photo: Klaveness Combination Carriers)

Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA (KCC) announced it is exploring the potential of improved vessel connectivity with a pilot of Starlink, a satellite internet service provisioned by Marlink. The move focuses on improving digital collaboration and data exchange between shore and ship, a key step in reaching KCC’s targets set for crew safety/welfare and carbon emission reductions, the company said.Taking traditional VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) connectivity to the next level…

23 Mar 2022

Maritime Comms Specialist Inmarsat Attracts First Offshore Wind Client

 ©Norwind Offshore via Inmarsat

Mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat has reached an integrated connectivity agreement with Norwind Offshore, a Norwegian offshore wind vessel owner established in 2021.The agreement covers connectivity and digitalization needs for three  Service Operation Vessels (SOV) operated by Norwind.The contract includes an existing Platform Supply Vessel undergoing retrofit to become an SOV, with delivery due in May 2022, and a letter of intent covering two newbuilds. All three vessels will have Inmarsat’s Fleet LTE.

21 Jan 2022

New Zealand Water Ship Unloads in Tonga

File photo: HMNZS Aotearoa (Photo: Natalie Dorsey / U.S. Navy)

Life-saving water supplies from a New Zealand navy ship were distributed across Tonga's main island on Friday, as other countries battled the logistics of delivering aid to one of the world's remotest communities.Six days after the South Pacific archipelago was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that deposited a blanket of ash and polluted its water sources, the HMNZS Aotearoa docked in the capital, Nuku’alofa.The ship carried 250,000 liters of water and desalination equipment able to produce 70,000 litres more per day, New Zealand's High Commission said."Trucks ...

23 Feb 2021

AecorLink to Deliver Internet to Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia

Aurora Botnia (Image: Wasaline)

Swedish maritime internet service provider AecorLink said it has been appointed to deliver highspeed Internet to Wasaline´s brand new ferry - Aurora Botnia.Wasaline has been using AecorLink broadband service since 2017, on the ferry Wasa Express. Wasaline has had the first long distance shore to ship, satellite free, highspeed internet connection to a ferry. AecorLink will provide an updated version of the shore to ship microwave system to match the stable, low latency and highspeed internet services offered to passengers on the new top modern ferry Aurora Botnia.

05 Feb 2021

China's Latest Weapon Against Taiwan: The Sand Dredger

© Frank / Adobe Stock

Taiwanese coast guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the frontline of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China’s weapon? Sand.On a chilly morning in late January, Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the rolling deck of his boat as it patrolled in choppy waters off the Taiwan-run Matsu Islands. A few kilometers away, the Chinese coast was faintly visible from Lin’s boat. He was on the lookout for Chinese sand-dredging ships encroaching on waters controlled by Taiwan.The Chinese goal…

08 Jul 2020

SCG Opts for Castor 4G Package on 30 Ships

SCG Longdijk (Photo: Flying Focus)

Shipping Company Groningen (SCG) has contracted offshore internet services provider Castor Marine to install its Global 4G Connectivity package on all 30 of its vessels. With this, the coasters will have a fast, global 4G-LTE internet connection for its crews. On its fleet, SCG offers its personnel a Crew Welfare Zone with free internet within the 12-mile (4G) zone. To realize this, SCG wanted a plug-and-play, cost-efficient system that is always operational and doesn’t interfere with the crew’s activities.To make this happen…

13 May 2020

Digital lift-off

(Photo: Inmarsat)

Better connectivity, easier data sharing and a thriving IoT start-up scene demonstrate that maritime digitalization is flourishing according to satellite service provider Inmarsat.For many, the lasting consequence of COVID-19 may be the upheaval it brought to the familiar rhythms of daily life. Thankfully the internet enabled a semblance of routine activity to continue, as they worked from home while their children attended digital classrooms.The outbreak forced us to work together yet apart through video conferencing and collaborative online platforms…

18 Oct 2019

Interview: Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink

“When the human element is considered, securing networks from cyber-attack is incredibly challenging.   Reducing human interaction with on board networks and computers by deploying a more standardized IT environment can minimize risks.”
-- Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink

Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink, discusses the pace and direction of high speed comms in maritime.Using metrics of your choice, put in perspective where we are today in terms of getting shipowners to adopt high speed communication solutions.The term broadband has been used in the maritime industry for at least a decade and if we are to follow the FCC’s definition which was upgraded to 25mbps from 4mbps (download) in 2015, then those high speed internet services are nothing of the sort.However, everything is relative.

30 Mar 2017

KVH Ships 7,000th mini-VSAT Broadband System

KVH Industries, Inc. has shipped more than 7,000 mini-VSAT Broadbandsm systems, designed and manufactured by KVH to provide mobile connectivity at sea. The TracPhone V-series satellite communications antenna systems are currently in use on everything from small recreational sailboats cruising the coastline to 1,000-foot commercial freighters transiting the world’s oceans. KVH launched the mini-VSAT Broadband service in July 2007, and has seen the popularity of the service grow, coinciding with an overall trend in the maritime industry toward increased reliance on broadband connectivity. As recently as September 2016, industry analyst Northern Sky Research reported that KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband customers account for 29 percent of the vessels using Ku-band service.

13 Jan 2017

Global Eagle Acquires Satellite Communication Payload

Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (GEE) has acquired Ku-band payload on an SES communication satellite in a move to boost capacity for its customers in North America, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. GEE will rebrand the satellite as Eagle-1. “Eagle-1 is a key element in the strategic expansion of our global satellite network to optimize quality of experience (QoE) for our rapidly growing user base,” said Abel Avellan, president of GEE. “Our vision is to reach hundreds of millions of people on the move around the world with a reasonably priced high-speed Wi-Fi experience that is equivalent to what they get at their homes or offices. To that end, GEE is increasing satellite capacity and upgrading our robust ground infrastructure of owned teleports.

07 Jan 2017

Satcom Global Aura Bringing Seafarers Closer

Did you know that there are approximately 1.6 million seafarers today, and that 69% of those recently surveyed say access to crew communications at sea influences their choice of employer? Statistics show that the crew communications market value exceeded $1.39 billion USD last year and although 89% of seafarers understand and feel comfortable using satellite communications technology, there are 78,000 crew who never have access to it. Only 56% of crew always have access to crew communications, and with crew welfare continually a hot topic, increasing access to quality and real-time communications whilst at sea puts owners in a stronger position to attract and retain the right crew.

09 Sep 2016

Reederei NSB Opts for Marlink VSAT

NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (REEDEREI NSB) has chosen Marlink to supply fully managed VSAT services including connectivity and an extensive business critical solutions roll-out for its entire fleet of 50+ vessels. The contract, signed early in July, positions Marlink as NSB’s primary provider of voice and connectivity services, supporting the leading German shipping company to continue improving its crew welfare and operational communication facilities with fully integrated services and solutions. In addition to the management of containerships, tankers, bulkers and offshore jack-up vessels, REEDEREI NSB, Member of NSB GROUP, is active in crewing of its own ships as well as vessels of other parties.

02 Feb 2016

Microsoft Sinking Data Center in the Pacific

Microsoft swims to ocean’s depth to test underwater data center as environmentally friendly cloud computing alternative. The software giant has dropped a data center into the Pacific Ocean off California. Microsoft  gave details of its rationale for going underwater, explaining the idea, called Project Natick, would cut costs when it comes to keeping the data center cool, as well as be environmentally friendly and more responsive to customers. "It may sound like something from a James Bond film, but it could be a solution to one of the industry's most expensive problems - air-conditioning bills," says a report in the Sky news. A Microsoft post said the first data center to be submerged was the Leona Philpot…

23 Dec 2015

New Roles for Satcoms in Autonomous Shipping

Examining some questions regarding commercial autonomous and drone ships, as well as why VSAT currently presents the best solution for the communications and control of such vessels. The topic of autonomous shipping has been much in the news recently. We have seen, for example, the announcement in September 2015 that Inmarsat has begun participating in the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) recently launched by Rolls Royce. This initiative is designed to move autonomous shipping from the drawing board to a commercial reality.

08 May 2014

NZ's Trustpower Ltd Year Profit Down 75

New Zealand power company Trustpower Ltd's full-year profit fell 7 percent because of lower generation production and margins, as well as a decline in customers, the company reported on Friday. Trustpower said net profit after tax was NZ$115.12 million ($99.50 million) for the year to March 31, compared with NZ$123.3 million in the previous year. The company, around half owned by utilities investor Infratil Ltd, declared a dividend of 20 cents, unchanged from last year. Trustpower has 34 small- to medium-scale hydro plants and two wind farms inNew Zealand, with another two wind farms in Australia. It generates about 5 percent of New Zealand's power. It also provides telephone and internet services. (Reporting by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Paul Tait) ($1 = 1.1569 New Zealand Dollars

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.

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 “hotel experience” Internet facilities for Vroon clients aboard specific categories of vessels. These include subsea-support vessels (10-25 passengers)…

13 Oct 2015

NSSLGlobal Trials Wi-Fi with British Royal Navy

Satellite communications provider NSSLGlobal announced the trial of its Wi-Fi service across selected British Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. The service, based on NSSLGlobal’s proven technology for the commercial shipping sector, but modified for the Royal Navy will, for the first time allow crew to use their personal devices to connect with friends and family through internet services and applications. The Wi-Fi service is an all-in-one access control facility deployed as a gateway for managing Wi-Fi hotspots to enable BYOD (Bring your own Device) to be rolled out to Naval vessels. It will provide the user with a secure, available, supported and legally and morally compliant internet service providing access over existing ship bearers (whether satellite, ADSL or 3G/4G).

09 Jan 2015

MCP Inks Mobile, Internet Deal for 33 Carnival Ships

Frode Støldal (Photo courtesy of MCP)

MCP has signed a long-term contract with Carnival Corporation to provide 33 cruise ships with advanced mobile cellular communication services. The agreement provides close to 130,000 people each day mobile voice, texting (SMS) and data (mobile internet) coverage while at sea. In order to deliver mobile solutions to crew and passengers, Carnival Corporation has signed a multi-year contract serving six of the company’s nine brands. The agreement is a consolidation and extension of existing agreements and the addition of new ships.

22 Jan 2015

Enhanced Satellite Connectivity in Papua New Guinea

Global satellite communications service provider SpeedCast International Limited has entered into an agreement with O3b Networks, where O3b will provide capacity for Papua New Guinea via its Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation. The O3b-based service will allow SpeedCast to deliver high throughput and low latency internet services to local customers. SpeedCast’s high bandwidth new IP Trunk from Port Moresby to the international Internet backbone will enable high throughput voice and data services, whose performance will be similar to or even exceed that of traditional fiber connectivity, SpeedCast said. O3b’s MEO configuration provides low latency in satellite communications of less than 150 milliseconds.