Tidewater is installing Fleet Xpress across its fleet of OSVs as part of its digitalisation strategy
Fleet Xpress is the combination of Ka-band communications through the Global Xpress satellite network and L-band through FleetBroadband.
At least 56 active Tidewater vessels will be using Fleet Xpress by the end of January, providing new capabilities for crew, energy company clients and onboard third parties.
Tidewater has been a long-term client of Inmarsat as it was one of the largest users of Inmarsat’s legacy iFusion service. However, with this network shut down on 31 December 2020, Tidewater needed a new service.
Together they created a joint project team and comprehensive plan to fast-track vessel installations and upgrades to deliver the project in six months. A team of 75 from the combined organisations have completed installations on vessels operating in 15 countries.
“This transformational project advanced Tidewater to a new level of vessel communications,” said Tidewater IT programme manager Cherise Brooks, “with Fleet Xpress’s combination of high-speed Ka-band and continuous back-up using L-band creating an always-on bandwidth for our vessels,” she added.
“Tidewater has deployed this new technology to provide internet for crews and customers, a capability previously not available for these vessels,” Ms Brooks continued.
This project was completed during an aggressive six-month schedule and involved significantly upgrading offshore support vessels in the fleet with new terminal hardware.
Inmarsat sales director for offshore and fishing Chuck Moseley said Tidewater is the first beneficiary of Inmarsat’s investments in reporting capabilities. He said Fleet Xpress presents “flexible digital solutions that meet operator needs on vessel efficiency, crew welfare and client demands.”
Inmarsat will continue the partnership to deliver the 2021 product roadmap to further advance the Tidewater fleet.
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