A German shipowner is deploying Inmarsat Maritime’s hybrid satellite communications hardware to enhance connectivity and crew welfare
Krey Schiffahrt will install bonded, hybrid satellite communications on four newbuild heavy-lift vessels, with one delivered and three others under construction.
Antennas and other terminal hardware will be installed on the four vessels to communicate with satellites in multiple orbits for worldwide fast, low-latency communications.
Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave will be installed on 2025-built BBC Felix and three newbuilding ships, BBC Vaasa, Charlotte and Caroline K, for communications across geostationary orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
Krey Schiffahrt currently manages eight multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels and is expanding its fleet to meet evolving project cargo demands.
According to the German shipowner, BBC Felix, which joined the fleet in November 2025, and BBC Vaasa, scheduled to be delivered in Q1 2026, are 12,500-dwt vessels with two 250-tonne cranes.
Charlotte and Caroline K will be 14,400-dwt vessels with two 350-tonne cranes when they are delivered in Q3 2026 and Q1 2027 respectively.
According to automatic identification system data, Portugal-flagged, 147-m BBC Felix was sailing between Port Everglades, Florida, USA, and Montreal, Canada, mid-December 2025.
“Our new heavy-lift vessels are designed to execute a variety of challenging projects with a high degree of efficiency,” said Krey Schiffahrt nautical superintendent Maxim Babenko.
“Reliable connectivity is a must. NexusWave’s fully managed service and unlimited data will help to keep our critical systems connected at all times and enhance crew welfare.”
NexusWave uses omni-directional antennas to connect with Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band and L-band GEO satellites and flat-panel terminals for communications with Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO constellation, plus hardware for connecting to coastal 4G and 5G networks for seamless connectivity.
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