New Inmarsat service to improve near-shore connectivity

A new service from Inmarsat Maritime called Fleet Reach is set to improve connectivity in coastal and port areas. As more ships, seafarers and shore personnel require effective communications, these regions are often congested connectivity hotspots.

Inmarsat Maritime, recently acquired by Viasat, revealed that the new service, optimised by Fleet Xpress, will supercharge coastal communication links thanks to added terrestrial mobile connectivity. The new setup will boost speed, improve signal strength, reduce latency, and facilitate improved communications for ships sailing on the coast or operating in ports and terminals, the company said.

The service will improve operations through more reliable sensor and app connectivity. However, a key benefit will be the enabling of improved communications for ships’ personnel. A recent study by Inmarsat study revealed an annual increase of 131% for business applications and an even greater uptake of 149% in crew-related applications.

The new service, a part of Inmarsat Orchestra, which uses a range of technologies across various orbits to provide effective connectivity where and when it is needed, has significantly improved security features, according to the company. The system monitors signals quality to ensure the most effective communication links, using either mobile terrestrial networks or satellite links.

Inmarsat president, Ben Palmer, said: "We know the enormous impact that seamless connectivity at sea has for seafarers - both on productivity and crew welfare – especially with so much time being spent in-port. Our new Fleet Reach service – the latest update to our Fleet Xpress solution – is a major step forward, enabling uninterrupted connectivity from sea to shoreline, to port, and back again, wherever and whenever it is needed."