Tanker, bulker and carrier fleets land better bandwidth on Starlink

Tanker owner and operator Thenamaris installed Starlink LEO services across most of its fleet in addition to its existing Inmarsat Fleet Xpress service, which incorporates Ka-band Global Xpress with L-band backup, and Ku-band VSAT.

“We are seeing significant improvements in the way we operate, thanks to its low latency and much faster speed,” said Thenamaris technical department electrical supervisor George Tsivgoulis. “Each vessel with Starlink is on the 1 TB plan, and we see that most of this data is consumed on the crews’ network.”

Thenamaris operates a fleet of 47 tankers, 25 bulk carriers, eight LNG carriers and seven LPG carriers.

“Starlink has allowed us to significantly increase the data quotas we offer our seafarers,” said Mr Tsivgoulis. “We want our crews to enjoy the best working environment possible, and being able to provide them with a high-speed connectivity option, like Starlink, improves their well-being by enabling them to more easily communicate with family and friends. We have had excellent feedback from our seafarers who now enjoy high-quality video calls.”

“Innovation is at the core of our operations. Embracing technological advancements is paramount" 

He said business operations have also benefited following the Starlink deployment. “We have a very customised IT and [operational technology] setup on board, including a shipwide wireless access system, that enables us to support our crews and carry out remote inspections throughout the vessel with videoconferencing and remote workstations,” said Mr Tsivgoulis.

“With VSAT, accessing this setup from shore was quite challenging, but with Starlink, the entire experience is vastly improved. We also plan on using Starlink for additional business needs in the near future.”

Seanergy Maritime and United Maritime selected Navarino as their Starlink partner for a fleet of 28 bulkers, which comprises 21 Capesize, three Kamsarmax, three Panamax vessels and one Newcastlemax ship.

“Innovation is at the core of our operations,” said IT manager and project lead Stavros Vafeiadis. “Embracing technological advancements is paramount. Selecting Starlink for its high-speed, low latency connectivity was a no-brainer, benefiting both our business operations and the welfare of our seafarers.

“We are constantly on the lookout for the next service to further enhance our business operations post-Starlink deployment, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving maritime landscape,” he added.

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