Bremen, Germany-headquartered Sloman Neptun will install two Starlink flat-panel antennas on its fleet of 19 tankers and dry cargo vessels to work alongside existing satellite communications
Navarino will install these antennas to connect with Elon Musk’s Space X’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to improve operational and crew communications.
Combining dual Starlink antennas with VSAT and L-band back-up units enables the German owner to deploy applications that require high-speed, low-latency connectivity on its vessels including video-conferencing and remote IT support.
Sloman Neptun head of IT Eckhard Bartkowski and IT administrator Ingo Wenske explained why it installed Starlink, gave feedback on its connectivity and the need for VSAT back-up.
“We have chosen Starlink because we wanted to upgrade the connectivity available on board our fleet,” they said. “In tests, we found that with a single antenna, there were occasional signal drops either because of the vessel’s course, or due to obstructions. This is why we have decided to adopt a dual-antenna approach with Starlink, to minimise such disruptions and to provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity as seamlessly as possible. We also have VSAT installed, which will now act as a back-up system for us.”
With VSAT, it was difficult to effectively synchronise onboard business applications because of the lower speed and higher latency than Starlink LEO.
“Now, with Starlink, this becomes much more feasible and its high speeds mean we can effectively treat our vessels as a true extension of our office,” said Mr Bartkowski and Mr Wenske.
“We are also going to begin using Microsoft Teams for video calling with our fleet over the Starlink connection, something which was not possible with VSAT only.
“We have already had positive feedback from our shore-based IT teams who are happy with the functionality Starlink provides, as it makes remote access both to and from the vessel very smooth and seamless, which is a major upgrade to the way they work.”
Both think it is important to keep VSAT on board for reliable, robust connectivity.
“Keeping the VSAT in combination with Starlink is very important. For example, there are areas our vessels visit around the world that Starlink is not approved for use,” said Mr Bartkowski and Mr Wenske.
“So having a fall back system like VSAT is crucial to ensure business and crew connectivity can continue to function.”
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