Inmarsat has won contracts from Netherlands-based Jumbo Shipping and Germany-based Harms Bergung to equip their fleets with the XpressLink satellite broadband communication system.
Inmarsat said that installation of XpressLink will help in maintaining always-on data speeds of 768kbps and, when the VSAT service is active, a committed information rate (CIR) of 192kbps.
The new broadband solution will be equipped on Jumbo’s vessel fleet and on Harms Bergung’s anchor handling tug fleet.
Under the separate contracts, both Jumbo and Harms Bergung will have an option to upgrade at no extra cost to Global Xpress, which will double the available bandwidth, from 2014.
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The Inmarsat Global Xpress service is a super-fast, Ka-band satellite network optimised for mobile broadband, which has speeds of up to 50Mbps that will be delivered worldwide through compact terminals.
Inmarsat international sales manager Assad Khan said: "There is a shift in thinking among ship owners who are, in increasing numbers, looking for higher-volume communication systems with high data speeds and a fixed monthly fee."
Both companies will gain a fully-managed hybrid Ku-band and L-band solution for a fixed monthly cost.
Jumbo IT manager Marco Cevat said: "The demand for more bandwidth is increasing on a monthly basis and with this solution we are confident that Inmarsat’s combined package of VSAT and FleetBroadband will deliver us a reliable future-proof connection."
Jumbo operates a fleet of 12 specialised heavy-lift vessels with a lifting capacity of 500t up to 1,800t and, starting in 2013, a new generation of vessels will be added to the fleet with lifting capacity of 3,000t.
Jumbo’s two J-1800 class vessels are installed with a DP2 system, allowing them to provide transport as well as offshore installation services.
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