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Floating Offices

Connectivity might be the fastest-changing part of the shipping industry.

Just a decade ago, most ships dropped out of digital contact when they sailed over the horizon, and high-speed Internet access had to wait until the next port call. Today, the majority of the fleet has VSAT connectivity, and shipowners are sprinting towards full-scale broadband. An estimated 7,000 ships already have speedy low earth orbit (LEO) terminals installed, and more than 40 percent of owners plan to add a LEO service within a year, according to the British consultancy Thetius.

The sudden increase in bandwidth is giving seafarers more frequent access to video calls and entertainment, improving morale, recruitment and retention. Bandwidth also enables “big data” analytics and optimization, empowering shoreside managers with a real-time understanding of what the ship and its equipment are doing.

In years to come, broadband may gradually turn each ship into a “floating office” – a digital extension of the operating company, running on shared cloud-based software. But to get marine-grade reliability and speed, it isn’t as simple as just putting a new white antenna on the top of the wheelhouse, as owners are finding out.

Game-Changer

Satcom insiders readily admit that SpaceX’s Starlink service is driving the biggest changes. The high-bandwidth, low earth orbit (LEO) network delivers cable-like data to most locations on Earth, and at a highly competitive price.

SpaceX has sold thousands of its flat-panel Starlink terminals to maritime customers and is getting great reviews, especially from crewmembers. The service has made it possible to offer seafarers a much better connection with shoreside society – and with the home office.

The market is full of speculation about what this game-changing product will mean for incumbent satcom companies. So far, it seems just fine for everyone, including the managed service providers and the satellite fleet operators. Once shipowners and seafarers experience high-bandwidth connectivity, t…

CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM The Maritime Executive HERE

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