TECHNICAL
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS recorder. In the future, MPC also has the option to use FleetBroadband for engineperformance analysis and emissions monitoring. MPC deploys a suite of value-added services known as The Stratos Advantage for cost and traffic control, firewall management, data optimization, high security options, easy VPN access, messaging services and full IP range. As the backbone of the suite, the online Stratos Dashboard provides real-time information on the amount of traffic used for voice and data, and the associated costs. To improve shipboard life for seafarers, AmosConnect Crew from Stratos provides advanced voice, private email, SMS and GSM services that are powerful, economical, easy to use, and available away from the bridge. Marlink is scheduled to announce new features for its WaveCall VSAT solution at Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show. MarLink introduced automatic roaming and Committed Information Rates (CIRs) to enable users to seamlessly roam between Ku-band coverage spots as well as benefit from increased bandwidth for Internet browsing and calling. Following acquisition of additional satellite capacity, Marlink has been able to enhance its Ku-band services to provide extended coverage in major regions throughout the world. As part of the new automatic roaming capability, WaveCall customers will benefit from a system that automatically switches between Ku-band coverage regions, eliminating the need to change coverage regions manually. Also, the introduction of CIRs provides users with dedicated and higher bandwidth for a faster service. Marlink has also acquired additional satellite capacity as part of its strategy to provide Ku-band coverage on a global scale. WaveCall services have been expanded to provide coverage across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Arctic Circle to the Equator and in the Caribbean, further along the eastern US coast towards New England and further west in the Gulf of Mexico, providing complete coverage through the Panama Canal. Marlink recently provided bandwidth to the environmental ocean expedition project Kaisei which examines the North Pacific Gyre for marine debris that has collected in this oceanic region. Completed in summer 2009, the first research expedition was critical to understanding the logistics that would be needed to launch future clean-up operations and testing existing technologies that have never been used in oceanic conditions. Sealink is Marlink's prime Maritime VSAT Communications Solution, providing always-on bandwidth at a fixed, predictable cost. In addition, the Sealink service can be tailored to meet
width allocation. MPC Steamship recently deployed FleetBroadband from Stratos on its Yangtze River bulk-carrier vessel, which operates worldwide. The service enables remote management, allowing HQ to help manage the ship's computers, eliminating the need for costly vessel visits. It also includes database synchronization and access to the onboard voyage data
LRIT Supports During Pirate Negotiations
On April 18, 2009, Dirk Traen, chairman of the Jan De Nul N.V. crisis center of Belgium's international dredging and land reclamation specialist Jan De Nul N.V. received the news that one of his company's vessels, a side stone dumper called MV POMPEI, had been hijacked by pirates off the Gulf of Aden. During the negotiations, Dirk and his team realized that the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) and, although not designed for anti-piracy, the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system could be useful tools. The SAILOR LRIT aboard MV POMPEI had fortunately, only been fitted shortly before she left Dubai en route to Durban. Eighty miles from the Seychelles, although having taken specific measures and sailing well out of the pirate danger zone, and having a ship security plan in place, the pirates were unfortunately able to board. "The combination off SAILOR SSAS and LRIT was very useful when the MV POMPEI was under control of the pirates as we had accurate, regular reports of the vessel's position, so we could always see if the ship was moving," explains Dirk. "And it did move. Firstly for just half a mile, which was due to the monsoon. Later on though it moved 25km to the North. But because of reports from the SSAS and LRIT we knew where MV POMPEI was at all times." The MV POMPEI hijacking ended peacefully on 28th June 2009. Although just one factor in securing the safe release of vessel and crew, Dirk believes that both SSAS and LRIT (both of which use the Inmarsat C service) have an important role to play in piracy negotiations.
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Maritime Reporter & Engineering News