Maersk and Inmarsat Maritime have signed an agreement to upgrade Inmarsat satellite communications services across the Danish ocean carrier’s global fleet of approximately 340 container vessels.
The agreement will see bandwidth enhancements rolled out across Maersk’s entire fleet of owned container ships between 2025 and 2026.
These upgrades are part of Maersk’s strategic roadmap to facilitate unified connectivity and transform its vessels into fully operational floating offices as well as providing crews with improved connectivity.
The concept of “floating office” is aimed at revolutionising vessel operations through an advanced digitalisation strategy, expanded cloud-enabled solutions, and a more cohesive operational infrastructure, enabling future advancements in automation-focused operations and potentially autonomous operations as well.
Inmarsat Maritime’s future-proofed connectivity service combines Ka-band and ultra-resilient L-band networks, providing global, always-on, reliable and secure connectivity for the company’s fleet, important for transforming vessels into both floating offices and floating homes for seafarers.
Karthikeyan Arumugam, Senior Product Manager at Maersk, stated: “Connectivity is the key enabler in ensuring our vessels can become floating offices, and with our “One SatCom” project we have the target of having transformed all our vessels into floating offices by 2027. The partnership with Inmarsat Maritime plays an important role in enriching application availability and performance – thereby supporting our digital transformation at sea. No less important, it also fosters a better working environment and well-being for our crew members – ensuring that our vessels are not only workplaces but also connected homes away from home.”
Ben Palmer OBE, President of Inmarsat Maritime, said: “Our long-term partnership with Maersk is tailored to meet the evolving demands for maritime connectivity. Our connectivity solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with Maersk’s operational framework, ensuring a robust, secure, and continuous flow of information between ship and shore. This expanded agreement is a testament to our commitment to enabling strategic outcomes through superior connectivity solutions.”
