A rising number of recreational, commercial and military vessel owners and operators are rushing to reap the benefits of offshore connectivity using SpaceX’s Starlink service to achieve operational efficiency and overall mariner happiness.
In prior decades, vessels relied on very-small-aperture terminals (VSATs) and a two-way satellite ground station to transmit or receive data and voice and video signals via a satellite communication network. The system used a small dish antenna linked to single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet, making the round-trip data time between user and satellite – known as latency – high, notes Starlink’s website.
Today, the availability of Starlink non-geostationary satellite internet service that relies on its constellation of thousands of satellites in low orbit provides low latency at an affordable cost, serving as a game changer in offshore communications for a rising number of recreational, commercial and military vessels.
Dave Abrams, Professional Mariner publisher, said at the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans that, “Until relatively recently, vessel operators only had very expensive options for satellite communications to maintain connectivity. With the introduction of much lower-cost platforms – Starlink, for now – the cost of that connectivity has been cut dramatically, allowing vessel operators to offer their crew 24/7 internet and phone access. This is critical for recruiting younger people to become mariners.” He added that connectivity was a significant topic of discussion surrounding workforce development at a recent Ship Owners Cooperative Program (SOCP) meeting.
Paul Shuster, vice president of information technology at the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley, a government, marine and energy company, said Starlink internet capability allows mariners to stay connected with family and friends, access entertainment and social media and continue their professional development, “ultimately reducing feelings of isolation while they are working at sea.” Josh Diedrich, managing director for WindServe Marine, North Kingston, R.I., added that with such affordable connectivity, “morale is up; when not on watch, mariners can stay connected with family and friends.”
Starlink’s maritime technology is currently employed in more than 80 commercial, U.S. government and international vessels and terminals, including containerships, tankers, articulated tug-barges and tugboats owned or operated by Crowley, Shuster said.
Increased internet connectivity has allowed Crowley to improve operational efficiencies, including real-time monitoring and data transmission, and access to applications and digital resources, Shuster said. “Mariners and shoreside teams can achieve real-time data exchange, allowing for better route planning and predictive maintenance. It also enables integration of devices that can monitor everything from engine performance to cargo conditions, empowering mariners to make smarter decisions on the go,” he said. The ability to access real-time info on weather patterns and possible hazards also improves safety and security “so captains and crewmembers can make informed decisions to navigate safely through even the most challenging conditions.” In emergencies, “the ability to communicate with onshore authorities and rescue services has potentially lifesaving implications,” he added.
A Prospects for Maritime Satellite Communications report released earlier this year from Minneapolis, Minn.-based Novaspace noted that the market share of non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite technology “as a primary maritime communications method is expected to surge” to 90 percent by 2033 from 20 percent in 2023, Satnews.com reported. “The total number of vessels using at least one satellite communication service during 2023 reached 40,600, a number projected to more than double in 10 years, reaching approximately 90,000 vessels by 2033.”
American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc. (ARC) has “added Starlink satellite internet technology to its entire American-flagged fleet to help mariners stay connected with loved ones while at sea,” ARC said in a press release.
British Columbia-based BC Ferries is also conducting a pilot with Starlink on a limited number of its vessels, a spokesperson said. “We are still in the early testing phases of this technology for crew and staff members and have not yet committed to any long-term option for the broader traveling public. It’s challenging to install reliable and affordable Wi-Fi on the routes that we sail. We will continue to have conversations with some of the larger internet providers to stay on top of the technology, so we’ll be ready as soon as there’s a feasible and cost-effective solution.”
Other satellite services are seeking to serve the evolving broadband needs of the maritime industry. Inmarsat Maritime’s new bonded network service, NexusWave, will be piloted by the “K Line logistics company, which operates a diverse fleet of more than 400 vessels worldwide,” Inmarsat said.
Inmarsat has also selected Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-Earth-orbit (LEO) network to integrate into Nexus Wave to support maritime connectivity service, Satnews.com reported in September.
Telesat, owned by Loral Space & Communications, and listed among Via Satellite’s 10 Hottest Satellite companies in 2024, has developed Telesat Lightspeed, a global network of 198 LEO satellites integrated with on-ground data networks designed to “meet the unique remote-to-shore connectivity requirements critical to the modern maritime industry,” the company says on its website.