This agreement will help ensure that its fleet of 38 vessels and two newbuildings continues to enjoy high bandwidth, reliable global IP connectivity and voice calling on the cost-effective Sealink Premium VSAT service, the satcoms service provider said.
Marlink’s Sealink VSAT features a committed information rate (CIR), which ensures a minimum level of bandwidth is always accessible, while also providing a faster maximum information rate (MIR) when available.
Based on a guaranteed level of service, Knutsen is exploring new ways to further digitalise its fleet of shuttle tankers, LNGCs, product and chemical tankers.
A Marlink customer for 18 years and an early adopter of maritime VSAT in 2000, Knutsen has continuously developed its digital processes across its fleet. Starting initially with on board/shoreside database replication and electronic forms/reporting, Knutsen uses the speed, reliability and global coverage of Sealink VSAT to deliver high quality service to its clients through efficient vessel and logistics operations, it claimed.
Knutsen also provides high-end communication facilities for its crew members. The company has seen demand for crew bandwidth rise significantly since 2002 and has continuously tasked Marlink to ensure that its crew are satisfied with the communications facilities on board.
The current on board configuration, using 1 m Ku-band antennas with back-up on L-band, ensures that crew can always access social media, browse the Internet and talk to friends and family at home, while enabling high bandwidth and reliability for vessel and business applications, in addition to fleet management.
“VSAT has been a standard on our fleet for a long time, but we continue to see new applications and demands with the ongoing digitisation happening within the maritime markets, which means we need a future proof solution to enable our own digitisation strategies,” said Nils Trones, communication & navigation manager, Knutsen OAS Shipping. “We are reviewing new opportunities to improve our service to clients even further using Marlink’s digitalisation solutions that can help us to maximise our investment in communications.”
In addition, Marlink’s customers using the Sealink Allowances maritime VSAT service plan can now enjoy a burst rate, or MIR, of up to 6 Mbps without any extra-charge. The new MIR is twice as fast as the previous 3 Mbps, the company claimed.
Among the tanker companies signed up with Marlink are Scorpio Tankers, Rigel, Hartmann, Stolt Tankers, Eastern Mediterranean, KOTC, TB Marine and Mideast Shipmanagement.