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Wallenius Wilhelmsen upgrades communications on 41 ships
A global roro and vehicle carrier operator is preparing its vessels for real-time data transfers between ship and shore and to improve crew welfare
Wallenius Wilhelmsen is upgrading satellite communications on its fleet of oceangoing roro ships and vehicle carriers to enhance welfare services for its seafarers and to provide real-time data transfer and analytics for its clients and operations.
This latest ship refurbishment project will see hardware for connecting with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for fast and low-latency communications installed on 41 ships, which is expected to be completed in mid-2026.
These installations are carried out by crew and are remotely managed, making the process both time-efficient and cost-effective. Antennas and associated hardware are shipped to ports, brought on board vessels and installed by the seafarers, before being tested and configured remotely, with no downtime.
“Our vessels must be digitally ready, not only to meet today’s requirements, but to stay ahead,” said Wallenius Wilhelmsen manager of marine operations and fleet connectivity, Adriana Briseno.
“With the new solution, we get a robust, redundant connection that improves the communications between our ships and shore. “This strengthens our operational capabilities and improves the working environment for the crew,” she said.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen is working with Soya IT Marine Solutions to upgrade satellite communications on the vessels and will use Soya’s data management, continuous service and 24/7 support services.
This fleet retrofit project started in April 2025, following two proof-of-concept tests in October 2024 that demonstrated a redundant and significantly improved connectivity solution for roro ships and car carriers.
High data-transmission capacity enables substantially better onboard wifi for the crew, enabling more social media and online applications.
The LEO constellation’s faster connection enables real-time data transfers between ship and shore, and a more efficient use of sensor data to optimise operations and decision-making by Wallenius Wilhelmsen, without compromising on security.
“The installation requires no operational downtime, which saves both time and money for our customers,” said Soya group vice president for IT Thomas Bergefall.
“With the new communications solution, we are securing future digital development and opening up entirely new opportunities for real-time data transfer and expanding through additional cyber-security solutions.”
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