VAST advances in technology have improved satellite communications to the point that almost all land-based services are also available at sea. While the infrastructure is becoming more widespread, what needs to catch up is the provision of services to ensure that seamless communication is made possible.
This is where service providers such as Singapore Telecommunications come into play. For example, SingTel has its Office-At-Sea, which is a next generation maritime broadband solution designed specifically for the maritime community.
High among its features, is the ability to provide secure networks through its unique connection to SingTel's ConnectPlus IP-VPN. This assures shipping company executives and rig owners and operators that sensitive shipboard information and data will be safe from the threat of hackers and terrorists.
Office-At-Sea not only offers a two-way high speed broadband connection but also comes with a range of broadband applications specially customised to enable vessels to communicate seamlessly and cost-effectively with the land offices. Other applications include various broadband Internet, GSM cellular phone and economical voice solutions that can help increase crew welfare, as well as e-surveillance systems that can aid shipping companies to remotely monitor their vessels' operation from their land offices.
Another more recent example of cutting edge satellite technology is the equipping of the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, with MTN Satellite Communications' (MTN) state-of-the-art VSAT satellite communications system.
The massive ship carries up to 5,400 passengers and a crew of more than 2,000 and the satellite communication requirements presented special challenges, according to MTN.
'The communications suite is a critical component for operating the ship and its passenger services,' said Max Schmidt, vice-president of information technology at Royal Caribbean Cruises.
'For the inaugural voyage of Oasis of the Seas, MTN supplied the highest bandwidth ever used on a single ship in the history of the cruise industry,' said Brent Horwitz, senior vice-president of MTN.
The MTN system on Oasis provides an extensive range of voice and data services. The system is designed to support over 40 simultaneous satellite phone calls through Cisco Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) gateways, allowing guests and crew to make calls directly from their cabin phones.
Increasingly as technology develops, customers are demanding higher levels of connectivity and more applications to harness it. The Marine Electronics and Communications Asia Conference which is one of the conferences at Asia Pacific Maritime 2010 will address some of these issues.