FleetBroadband field trials impress shipowners
Posted on Thu, Jul 17, 2008
Early feedback from Inmarsat-supported evaluations of FleetBroadband among maritime end-users suggests that ship operators are appreciating the benefits of broadband at sea.
Ten companies are taking part in the trials of FleetBroadband, called martime field evaluations (MFEs), two of which have been completed.
The participating companies have been split by vessel segment, with seven drawn from the deep-sea merchant sector, and one each from the fishing, government and leisure sectors.
Exceeding expectations
The terminals deployed are a mixture of JRC FB250 and Thrane & Thrane FB500 models.
Initial feedback has “exceeded expectations”, with many of the participants enjoying their first taste of IP-based broadband communications, says Inmarsat maritime market manager Kartik Sinha.
Inmarsat has been able to make the evaluations as smooth as possible by offering remote assistance from its London HQ.
Flexible options
Inmarsat’s applications team can access the onboard terminals remotely and step in with expert advice should any troubleshooting be required.
A JRC FB250 and Thrane & Thrane FB500, both static, have been installed in the London solutions lab and the hub.
“If users wish to create their own scenarios, such as establishing a WiFi hotspot at a certain position on the vessel, we can test this here,” Sinha explains.