HTS connectivity is transforming crew welfare services over VSAT, while speciality news services provide seafarers with the latest information from their home countries
Higher bandwidth provided by high throughput satellites (HTS) delivers more capacity to vessels for crew welfare packages including email, video, television and social media access.
Access, availability and cost of bandwidth depends on the type of vessel, sector it operates in, terminal hardware and type of owner-operator. Some seafarers can have all the bandwidth they need for free, while others may be restricted to 128 kbps at a monthly cost.
Developments in hardware over the last decade enable faster connectivity over HTS to more types of vessel including fishing vessels and workboats, up to VLCCs, ultra-large container ships and cruise ships.
KVH Industries introduced HTS versions of its TracPhone V11, V7 and V3 VSAT antennas, increasing connectivity to 20 Mbps to some vessels. KVH Industries chief operating officer Brent Bruun has seen technology and crew welfare applications advance over the decade – from voice communications, voice over IP and email. “Then it was about smart phones and applications, social media and entertainment media,” he explains.
KVH provides media and news channels using IP MobileCast in 13 languages. “There will be a massive amount of bandwidth in the market,” says Mr Bruun. “We can take advantage of this technology to provide more robust services for crew welfare and operational requirements.”
KVH uses Intelsat’s HTS network FlexMaritime service and capacity from Sky Perfect JSAT satellites for its crew welfare package. “We are using this to launch a streaming service for video entertainment and conferencing – to stream video to ships and yachts,” says Mr Bruun. “This provides the same experience as at home but in the middle of the ocean for applications such as YouTube and Netflix.” KVH Elite is a premium unlimited VSAT streaming service delivering high definition media to ships and yachts.
Owner connectivity upgrades
Shipping companies are increasing their connectivity capacities for crew welfare services to go beyond Maritime Labour Convention requirements and to offer a better life on board.
BW Group is installing new KVH hardware on 102 product tankers, LPG carriers, LNG tankers and offshore floating production facilities this year. Most of these ships will have TracPhone V11-HTS antennas, designed to deliver bandwidth data speeds of up to 20 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up to the satellites from ships. Full vessel migration is expected to be completed by Q3 2020.
Germany’s largest charter owner of feeder container ships Leonhardt & Blumberg (L&B) is boosting its communications capacity on 30 vessels. It has renewed its contract with Marlink covering VSAT connectivity service, Sealink Premium Plus.
L&B fleet manager Tim Göttsche says VSAT is important for more efficient and safer operations. “We are confident high-quality connectivity solutions will keep our communications, vessel IT infrastructure and compliance measures running at the optimal level,” he says.
Marlink president maritime Tore Morten Olsen says more shipping companies are migrating communications to hybrid VSAT for crew welfare, digitalisation and optimisation.
“This has driven a huge increase in the demand for bandwidth and massively changed usage patterns,” says Mr Olsen. He thinks future communications will combine different types of network, including VSAT with mobile phone (GSM) networks and the latest wireless connectivity.
“Combined networks can be used for different types of data, applications and processes according to their specific attributes, such as latency, speed or regional availability,” says Mr Olsen. “The advantages are clear, especially when a hybrid network offers non-satcom channels such as wifi, WiMax, GSM and 4G. The best cost and performance link can be chosen automatically and seamlessly for all circumstances.”
Owner connectivity upgrades
Shipping companies are increasing their connectivity capacities for crew welfare services to go beyond Maritime Labour Convention requirements and to offer a better life on board.
BW Group is installing new KVH hardware on 102 product tankers, LPG carriers, LNG tankers and offshore floating production facilities this year. Most of these ships will have TracPhone V11-HTS antennas, designed to deliver bandwidth data speeds of up to 20 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up to the satellites from ships. Full vessel migration is expected to be completed by Q3 2020.
Germany’s largest charter owner of feeder container ships Leonhardt & Blumberg (L&B) is boosting its communications capacity on 30 vessels. It has renewed its contract with Marlink covering VSAT connectivity service, Sealink Premium Plus.
L&B fleet manager Tim Göttsche says VSAT is important for more efficient and safer operations. “We are confident high-quality connectivity solutions will keep our communications, vessel IT infrastructure and compliance measures running at the optimal level,” he says.
Marlink president maritime Tore Morten Olsen says more shipping companies are migrating communications to hybrid VSAT for crew welfare, digitalisation and optimisation.
“This has driven a huge increase in the demand for bandwidth and massively changed usage patterns,” says Mr Olsen. He thinks future communications will combine different types of network, including VSAT with mobile phone (GSM) networks and the latest wireless connectivity.
“Combined networks can be used for different types of data, applications and processes according to their specific attributes, such as latency, speed or regional availability,” says Mr Olsen. “The advantages are clear, especially when a hybrid network offers non-satcom channels such as wifi, WiMax, GSM and 4G. The best cost and performance link can be chosen automatically and seamlessly for all circumstances.”
Seafarer news service
In terms of crew welfare, bandwidth availability to seafarers and cost are important. Most of the bandwidth is used for social media connectivity using applications such as Skype or WhatsApp, says Marpoint co-founder Anastasis Kyrkos.
“More than 90% of internet bandwidth allocated to crew is used by seafarers to connect with family and friends,” he explains. “Typically, the bandwidth available to seafarers does not allow browsing and news downloads from websites due to the large amount of data required.”
To fill this service gap, MarPoint developed Evo News to provide seafarers with access to any webpage offering RSS information feeds on the internet, in any language chosen and with no limits on how many articles can be viewed.
“Crew welfare solutions should aim at balancing the work responsibilities and interests seafarers have outside their daily work routine, such as reading their country’s news,” says Mr Kyrkos.
“Evo News customised RSS package has been specially developed for maritime applications to ensure compatibility with the all websites that currently operate with RSS feeds,” he adds.
This service compresses news articles and updates. These are sent to ships with new stories every six, 12 or 24 hours via a customised web interface created by MarPoint.
“Articles are stored on the vessel’s computer server, rather than downloaded on the spot, reducing the VSAT capacity used to access the articles,” says Mr Kyrkos.
“Crew can view articles on their own devices, including laptops, smartphones and crew PCs, directly from the vessels local network.” This is without using any data or crew internet cards, which are typically needed to download news direct from websites.
“Having customised RSS feeds, shipowners can decide the frequency, category and size of the articles, which includes whether or not to send articles with pictures or text only,” says Mr Kyrkos.
Evo News service is an application downloaded and installed on a vessel’s server or computer from any remote location, requiring no additional hardware. “It is just like downloading an app on your phone – installation and set-up is completed within five minutes,” says Mr Kyrkos.
Partners join Iridium GMDSS
Iridium has signed up partners after receiving approval for its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) services.
Its GMDSS launch service providers include Arion Communication, AST, Marlink, Marsat, NSSLGlobal, Satcom Global and Speedcast.
They will offer emergency and safety voice, distress alerting and maritime safety information messaging worldwide, including the polar regions, over Iridium’s constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.
Iridium used strict selection criteria for its GMDSS service partners including having 24/7 customer support, a strong global or regional footprint, a robust portfolio of maritime value-added services and a track record with maritime safety and security-related services.
It anticipates more partners will be added in 2020, when Iridium expects to commercially launch its GMDSS service.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.