Broadband

Marlink Adds SpaceX's Starlink to its Services

Marlink has added SpaceX’s Starlink service to its offerings, a move aimed at strengthening its connectivity solutions portfolio.Marlink and OmniAccess will leverage Starlink – a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service enabled by a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit – to complement its portfolio of smart network solutions and services globally. Under the agreement, Marlink and OmniAccess will act as global “authorized Starlink integrators” for maritime and enterprise customers.Marlink’s integration of Starlink with existing VSAT…

AST Introduces FlexMaritime VSAT

Applied Satellite Technology (AST) Ltd announced it is now offering Intelsat’s FlexMaritime service, a reliable, secure, high-speed global connectivity solution. Designed specifically for global commercial maritime trade routes, the service also supports multiple antenna sizes and new service options to meet the growing global bandwidth needs of fishing, leisure and workboats.Intelsat FlexMaritime leverages Intelsat’s global fleet of multi-layered, high-throughput satellites (HTS)…

Raymarine YachtSense Ecosystem: A 'Smart Home' Experience on the Water

Raymarine unveiled its YachtSense Ecosystem, an onboard and remote monitoring solution designed to give boaters effortless control of their Raymarine equipment and vessel systems from their mobile device. The YachtSense Ecosystem begins with the new Raymarine mobile app, a digital companion for Raymarine owners designed to provide simple onboard and off-boat integration capabilities. Enabling the YachtSense Ecosystem is the new YachtSense Link marine mobile router. YachtSense Link is an innovative device designed to keep boaters connected through 4G/LTE broadband…

Inmarsat Launches I-6 F1, Latest Tech Communication Satellite

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…

AST and Osprey Supply Winning Vessel of the Rolex Fastnet Race with Iridium Certus

Applied Satellite Technology and Osprey Technical Consulting Ltd worked closely together to ensure Tom Kneen’s JPK 11.80 350 Cruiser, Sunrise, was equipped with the latest Iridium Certus 200 terminal in preparation for the 49th Rolex Fastnet Race, which took place from August 8-12, 2021.The Rolex Fastnet Race is the world’s largest and toughest offshore yacht race. With teams covering 695 nautical miles over five days, this prestigious Atlantic Ocean race requires speed and precision to win.

Wagner Hired to Lead Derecktor's Florida Sales Team

Derik Wagner recently joined Derecktor Shipyards’ executive team as director of sales, bringing with him more than 20 years of global sales, business development and management experience. He will lead the Derecktor Florida sales team from Derecktor’s Dania Beach superyacht facility as the company prepares to bring its new Fort Pierce location online this summer.“Our company is growing and fortunate to hire someone of Derik’s caliber,” Paul Derecktor, president of Derecktor Shipyards, said.

Intelsat Adds Compact FlexMaritime 45cm Antenna Class

Satellite communications services provider Intelsat on Wednesday released a smaller antenna class for its FlexMaritime high-throughput satellite (HTS) service geared for leisure, fishing and commercial maritime vessels globally.The new maritime mobility solution enabled by the 45cm antenna is designed to bring a new level of broadband connectivity performance and affordability for fishing, leisure, tugs and other workboats, as well as smaller or coastal merchant ships, Intelsat said.Small enough to hand carry aboard vessels…

Inmarsat Milestones: 10k Ships with Fleet Express Installed, 'Fleet Data Academy' Launched

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.

Bandwidth Efficiency will Drive Maritime Digitalization

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…

KVH Elite Adds Mediterranean Region for Yachts

KVH Industries, Inc., announced that beginning June 1, it will add the Mediterranean region, a premier super yacht destination, to its KVH Elite service for unlimited HD-quality streaming onboard yachts. The dedicated service, which includes no overages or data limits, was initially launched last October in the Caribbean, where it was well-received by both private and charter yachts.KVH will continue to offer KVH Elite in the Caribbean—including Florida, the Caribbean, and the islands of the eastern Caribbean—in addition to beginning service in the Mediterranean…

New Cat Ferry MV Tricia for Transperth Fleet

A new passenger ferry built by Dongara Marine has been introduced to the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. MV Tricia  - named after Perth Zoo's popular 62-year-old Asian Elephant - is the third ferry in the Transperth fleet, joining two other low-wash catamarans introduced in 1997 and 2009. Operating across the Swan River between Elizabeth Quay and South Perth, the 23.7-m aluminium catamaran can carry up to 148 passengers and has a loaded top speed in excess of 16 knots.With two ferries each providing departures every 15 minutes in peak periods…

Interview: 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.

KVH Intros Unlimited VSAT Streaming Service for Yachts

KVH Industries, the mobile technology innovator and connectivity provider, has announced that it is introducing KVH Elite, an unlimited VSAT streaming service that delivers HD-quality, dedicated bandwidth to superyachts.The new KVH Elite streaming service is launching in November 2019 from Florida through the Caribbean, including the islands of the eastern Caribbean, with the Mediterranean expected to follow in 2020. This service, which is part of KVH’s fully global mini-VSAT BroadbandSM HTS network, is designed for maximum coverage…

YachtAid Delivers Relief to the Bahamas

On Sept. 1, as category 5 Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas, YachtAid Global’s Operation Topaz prepared to assist.Numerous vessels over 100-ft. LOA deployed swiftly to the Bahamas. They were engaged by YAG in Operation Topaz’ relief effort, using the benevolence of superyacht owners to organize humanitarian aid and disaster relief to the storm ravaged areas of the Abacos and Grand Bahama islands.The vessels were loaded with thousands of pounds of donated emergency provisions to be discharged as directed by the Bahama’s National Emergency Management Agency.

Inmarsat Enhances Superyacht Connectivity

Inmarsat has revealed plans to triple the number of satellites servicing its flagship Ka-band Global Xpress (GX) network, the high-capacity VSAT constellation behind its Fleet Xpress high-speed mobile broadband service, by 2023 to meet rapidly increasing user demand for data across the globe, including the Arctic region.Inmarsat’s GX fleet is currently composed of four satellites (GX1-4). The initial launches, the first of which is scheduled for this year, will see it augmented by three GX payloads (GX5, GX6A and GX6B) by 2021.

IMOCA Appoints Iridium

Iridium Communications has announced that the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA), has named Iridium as their Official Communications Partner for the 2019-2021 race season. IMOCA has also chosen Thales as its partner and sole provider of Iridium Certus L-band broadband equipment and will equip the IMOCA racing fleet with their VesseLINK connectivity solution. From June 2019 to June 2021, IMOCA race teams will rely upon Iridium Certus as their primary means of satellite communication. Together, Iridium and Thales will provide satcom connectivity for several high-profile yachting events that attract a global audience…

KVH Debuts New VSAT Antenna

KVH introduced the TracPhone V11-HTS, and antenna that the company dubs 'the world’s fastest' 1 meter Ku/C-band maritime VSAT antenna.The V11-HTS is designed to deliver data speeds as fast as 20 Mbps down/3 Mbps, supporting the upward trend of information transport on commercial ships today for operations, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and crew connectivity.“With the TracPhone V11-HTS, we continue to bring innovative solutions to the maritime market, enabling commercial vessel operators to take advantage of the many benefits of VSAT…

KVH VSAT Shipping Reaches Milestone

KVH Industries shipped its 9,000th mini-Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Broadband system."The milestone highlights KVH’s position as a maritime VSAT market share leader providing satellite broadband connectivity to vessels around the world," said a press release from the US-based manufacturer of mobile satellite communications solutions.KVH’s TracPhone V-series antenna systems are designed to provide satellite broadband connectivity to commercial and personal vessels globally, by utilizing satellite technology like High Throughout Satellites (HTS).Ever since we launched our mini-VSAT Broadband network more than 10 years ago…

Cobham Launches New SAILOR GX Terminal

Cobham SATCOM's new SAILOR 100 GX High Power Fleet Xpress user terminal is a compact 1 meter, 3-axis stabilized Ka-band user terminal specifically designed to enable Inmarsat’s newly launched high data rate plans packaged for bandwidth-hungry segments, such as offshore support vessels (OSV), global cruise and superyachts. Delivering twice the RF power of standard GX terminals, the SAILOR 100 GX High Power dramatically improves the economics of pushing large amounts of data from ship to shore…