Voice Communications News

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC, announced it has launched its new IP-based radio communications solution, Thuraya Push-to-Talk (PTT).Thuraya PTT has been developed with Cobham SATCOM, a provider of satellite communications solutions to the maritime and land markets. The solution will enable users to extend the range of their voice communications…

On Monday, October 18, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG), Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and industry partners commissioned the new Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Production Facility (PF) in support of the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program at ESG’s Allanton Shipyard. The ceremony was attended by leaders of the United States Coast Guard Project Resident Office.The C5ISR PF is a new…

Marlink said it has been selected by Turkish tanker operator Güngen Denizcilik ve Ticaret A/Ş (Gungen Maritime & Trading) to provide Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service on four of its six vessels. The agreement was concluded through Marlink’s local partner Ozsay Satellite which worked with the company to provide a high quality package of enterprise and crew welfare services.Gungen will use the high throughput Ka-band service together with Marlink’s voice service provided via XChange for Fleet Xpress.

L3Harris Technologies said it has received a contract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group to provide the integrated communications system for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).The Coast Guard has said that the OPC program is the highest acquisition priority in the Coast Guard, providing the capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and Fast Response Cutter.The initial award to L3Harris includes the design, development and production of the first two ship systems with options for up to as many as four OPC systems.

Real-time fisheries management and governance to ensure robust quota compliance and safeguard sustainable fishing.Inmarsat, along with its partners Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd (Addvalue) and Network Innovations, have launched a type-approved IP-based terminal and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for fishing vessels operating in United States (U.S.) waters. The Addvalue iFleetONE communications terminal and proprietary VMS have been type-approved in four of the five U.S. Fisheries Management regions, as required by the U.S.

Thuraya has responded to strong demand from the maritime sector and distributors by launching the MarineStar, an affordable maritime voice solution with advanced two-way tracking and monitoring capabilities.Designed by the world’s most innovative provider of mobile satellite communications, the MarineStar is Thuraya’s new flagship voice terminal for entry-level maritime users. It is based on the same successful platform as other Thuraya voice hardware that have sold in excess of 1 million units to date.

The U.S. Navy awarded a contract modification to General Dynamics Mission Systems to build and deliver more than 30 new AN/USC-61(C) Digital Modular Radios (DMR), along with related materials and equipment for new Navy surface vessels and submarines. The software-defined radios are a mission critical communications hub for Navy vessels and submarines. The contract modification exercises the sixth option to a contract awarded to General Dynamics in 2010. A majority of the work will be done at General Dynamics’ Scottsdale, Arizona, location. “This contract demonstrates the Navy’s continuing trust in DMR as it keeps pace with new and innovative communications technology for sailors and their commanders to securely connect with one another anywhere…

With most offshore wells in Brazil located between 30 and 300 km from the coast, communication with offshore assets has not always been straightforward or reliable. Some operators and service providers still use traditional maritime VSAT services for coverage offshore Brazil, yet the introduction of Microwave radio has led to a much better level of quality and reliability in high-bandwidth voice and data communications. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil had an interesting conversation with Arild Fotland, head of Ceragon’s Oil and Gas Division, about the advantages of Microwave radio communications for offshore operations in Brazil. Fotland joined Ceragon in 1978 and has been stationed all over the world.

NTSB Issues Update on Investigation Into Sinking of Cargo Ship El Faro. On February 13, 2015, El Faro successfully completed the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) class and statutory surveys, meeting all rules and regulations as applicable. All deficiencies identified were rectified prior to completion of the surveys. None of the deficiencies were associated with El Faro’s main propulsion systems. The annual inspection of El Faro, required by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), was completed by qualified USCG inspectors in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 6, 2015. In June 2015, a qualified ABS surveyor examined and tested the main, auxiliary and emergency systems as part of the continuous machinery survey program and found them to be satisfactory.

As Satellite providers battle for market share, the onboard struggle to efficiently maximize bandwidth allocation is also being solved. The requirement to monitoring critical equipment and at the same time satisfy the increasingly sophisticated demands of today’s seafarers all need to be balanced against the cost of bandwidth. The call for both ‘big data’ and the full range of crew connectivity and entertainment is upon the shipping industry. SatCom providers have responded in a big way…

On a beautiful Autumn afternoon in Charleston, SC last month, MarineNews Editor Joseph Keefe had the good fortune to attend the christening on the nation’s first dual purpose, rapid response vessel and pilot launch. As the first vessel to be designed for offshore salvage and firefighting requirements, it was also notably the first commercial application of Volvo Penta’s IPS drive propulsion. The vessel also represents an interesting twist in the Charleston Branch Pilots’ business model. The pilot game is already a pretty good paying gig, but clearly, this group is thinking outside the box.

SpeedCast International Limited announced that it has been awarded a multiyear contract from Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC), a provider of maritime transport services of hydrocarbon substances in the Middle East region. SpeedCast will provide satellite network connectivity for AMPTC’s entire fleet of vessels. SpeedCast will provide each AMPTC vessel with end-to-end VSAT services that enable corporate networking, Internet access, voice communications, and crew welfare services.

Fort Ripley, a new offshore emergency response craft now entering service in Charleston, S.C., is reported to be the first commercial vessel in North America to be powered by triple Volvo Penta IPS drives. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, and owned by Southeast Ocean Response Services Inc., the USCG-certificated 64-ft. aluminum boat, was commissioned today (October 7, 2014) in a ceremony in Charleston. Fort Ripley’s primary mission is to allow ships to meet federal requirements for rapid offshore firefighting…

Kongsberg Norcontrol IT (KNC) will provide the core maritime surveillance, voice communications, port management and port community technologies for the new Algerian national Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS). KNC is part of a consortium with Ericsson, Indjaz and Korea Trading and Industries Co. Ltd that is tasked with delivering the new VTMIS, with work starting this Summer. The VTMIS will enable economic growth and further integration for Algeria as it…

US Department of Defense inform that General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, is being awarded a not-to-exceed US$64,056,766 modification under a previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-2229) to procure advance material for the Mobile Landing Platform 4 (MLP4) Afloat Forward Staging Base platform. DoD explain that this action allows the procurement of ship sets for the purchase specifications supporting integrated propulsion, main diesel generator engines, propeller and shafting, integrated bridge, and voice communications. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (38 percent); Beloit, Wisconsin (37 percent)…

Maritime Broadband Inc. has appointed Nordic IT as  agent of the Company’s groundbreaking C-Bird™ VSAT in Germany. Nordic IT will use more than 10 years of knowledge in sales and support in the maritime industry to introduce the C-Bird™ system to their existing and new client base. C-Bird™ offers ship managers and owners a comprehensive solution with unlimited data and voice communications, providing a cost effective and unique alternative to existing systems. “Working with Nordic IT offers Maritime Broadband the very best foothold in the important German marketplace. The company is extremely well respected in the shipping community in Germany. Nordic IT has over 800 vessels and shore-side users taking advantage of their optimized software and hardware solutions.

Maritime Broadband Inc. has announced  that Nordic IT has been appointed as agent of the Company’s groundbreaking C-Bird VSAT in Germany. Mary Ellen Kramer, CEO of Maritime Broadband, is very pleased to have Nordic IT Marine Communications (Germany) as an agent. “Working with Nordic IT offers Maritime Broadband the very best foothold in the important German marketplace. The company is extremely well respected in the shipping community in Germany. Nordic IT has over 800 vessels and shore-side users taking advantage of their optimized software and hardware solutions.

LRAD Corporation, provider of long range acoustic hailing devices (AHDs), received a $700,000 order for LRAD 300X systems for installation on international coastal patrol boats currently under construction. Shipments under the order are scheduled to begin this quarter and continue as the patrol boats are delivered for deployment over the next 12 months. "Coast Guard services around the world are experiencing increasing territorial water incursions and homeland security threats," said Tom Brown, president and CEO of LRAD Corporation. The LRAD 300X is a low profile, lightweight AHD designed for use on small vessels, security and defense vehicles, and remote weapon stations.

Cobham SATCOM announced at Nor-Shipping 2013 a new SAILOR FleetBroadband Dual Antenna solution which has been designed to secure uninterrupted data and voice communications on vessels. The innovative new solution consists of two SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband solutions and a Dual Antenna Control Unit (DACU), which can automatically switch between antennas without loss of connectivity. With the ability to position two SAILOR FleetBroadband antennas at different locations on a vessel…

Inmarsat has announced that Shared Services Canada (SSC) will deploy FleetBroadB & new Assured Access service for 29 Canadian warships. The contract to provide these services to Government of Canada is now under the responsibility of SSC. The Government of Canada established SSC in August 2011 to consolidate its data centers, telecommunications and email systems. Deployment of these services to the Canadian Navy started in October 2012. FleetBroadband will provide the ships with global broadband connectivity while at sea – for email, internet and data services and voice communications. Since Inmarsat introduced FleetBroadband in 2007, it has been deployed on more than 30,000 commercial and government vessels worldwide.

Beam’s new PotsDOCK Extreme Covert Piracy Solution utilizes the Iridium Extreme satellite handset and the Beam Covert Antenna system to provide a dedicated system for a safe room or citadel on board a vessel. The system ensures that essential communications on board the vessel, such as the ability to alert authorities in the event of a piracy attack, can be maintained even if all power or communication equipment has been cut off or destroyed by pirates. The system couples the Iridium Extreme handset and the Beam Extreme PotsDOCK to provide the captain and crew with access to voice communications, tracking and alert functionality from the system. In the event of an attack, an alert can be raised and the vessel can be tracked immediately.

Partners Integrate the Iridium Core 9523 Into Advanced Smart Devices To Provide Connectivity Everywhere On The Planet. Iridium Communications Inc. announces the commercial availability of the Iridium Core 9523 transceiver. The Iridium Core 9523 further emphasizes the company’s Iridium ForceSM vision of bringing vital building blocks to partners who develop innovative, portable communications devices. 26 Iridium development partners, including FLYHT, SkyTrac Systems and Fastwave Communications…

Sandigan reports improved applications performance and crew productivity. Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has been selected by Sandigan Ship Services, Inc. to deploy the Inmarsat FleetBroadband satellite communications service on Sandigan’s fleet of commercial vessels. Based in The Philippines, Sandigan manages a global fleet that includes bulk carriers and car carriers. FleetBroadband from Stratos already has been successfully deployed on 12 Sandigan vessels.