Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, has reached an agreement with long-standing customer Atlantic Offshore to implement Fleet LTE across the Norwegian offshore service provider’s multifunctional fleet. The commitment will ensure vessels maintain continuous access to high-speed, low-latency connectivity in the North Sea during their offshore supply, seismic support and oil recovery duties.
As an all-in-one solution, Fleet LTE will allow the vessels to connect to 4G offshore fibre networks when in range and Inmarsat’s market-pioneering Ka-band service, Fleet Xpress, when sailing beyond LTE coverage zones. Switchover between the services is a seamless, fully automated process, ensuring no loss of connectivity when transiting from one area to another. Fleet LTE also includes access to FleetBroadband’s resilient L-band coverage for unlimited back-up with 99.9% network availability.
Atlantic’s internal business requirements
Fleet LTE supports a motivated workforce by allowing seafarers to keep contact with friends
On top of meeting Atlantic’s internal business requirements, Fleet LTE supports a happy and motivated workforce by allowing seafarers to maintain contact with friends and family and access online entertainment in their spare time on board. It also offers a separate bandwidth pipe for charterers, whose allowance Atlantic can upgrade and downgrade in line with demand.
Ove Gjerstad, QHSE Manager/Chartering and Operation, Atlantic Offshore Management AS, said: “Following our positive experience with Fleet LTE on board one of our vessels, we opted to roll the solution out across our entire fleet. Seamless communications across three modes of connectivity provided by one trusted partner mean we can rest assured that our vessels are always connected, with no risk of drop out during transit, no hidden costs and no juggling multiple contracts.”
Inmarsat’s technology roadmap
Scott Middleton, Regional Director North Europe, Inmarsat Maritime, said “Through Fleet LTE, North Sea operators like Atlantic Offshore can meet the ever-growing demand for high-speed crew internet, which is crucial for both regulatory compliance and competitiveness in recruitment. The solution also provides an advantage with charterers, allowing operators to offer their clients a cost-effective onboard connectivity service that does not compromise on quality.”
Launched in 2020, Fleet LTE also covers the Gulf of Mexico, and is part of Inmarsat’s wider investment plans for the maritime and offshore industries. The next step in Inmarsat’s technology roadmap is ORCHESTRA: a unique 'dynamic mesh network' combining existing geosynchronous satellites including ELERA (L-band) and Global Xpress (Ka-band) with low-Earth orbit satellites and terrestrial 5G. The network will offer the lowest average latency and highest average speeds available in shipping.