The Launch of OneWeb’s Maritime Connectivity Service: Revolutionizing Maritime Communications

The world of maritime communications has experienced a significant shakeup in the past six months with the introduction of Elon Musk’s Starlink LEO service by SpaceX. This service is being offered to the GEO satellites currently in orbit. OneWeb has also made its mark in the industry by successfully building its own LEO constellation, consisting of 634 satellites, which is now fully operational. Following successful trials with distribution partners, OneWeb is launching its maritime connectivity service.

Carole Plessy, VP Europe and Maritime at OneWeb, expressed excitement about the successful implementation of the company’s complete satellite constellation. This achievement has paved the way for the launch of guaranteed connectivity services for the maritime industry. OneWeb’s maritime connectivity service will provide flexible, enterprise-class packages with speeds exceeding 100 Mbps. Customers can expect guaranteed service levels defined by Committed Information Rate (CIR) and/or Maximum Information Rate (MIR) packages, with the option to “try before you buy.”

OneWeb’s first sea terminal was installed on the research vessel Polarstern in collaboration with German shipping company F. Laeisz and Speedcast. This deployment is part of a hybrid connectivity package, with Speedcast also offering additional LEO-based and L-Band services as part of a comprehensive managed solution. Andre Eerland, vice president of commercial shipping at Speedcast, emphasized the importance of the project in providing reliable and seamless connectivity to researchers and scientists working in remote areas of the world.

While the launch of LEO maritime services has generated excitement in the industry, there are concerns regarding outages and connectivity in extremely remote areas. As a result, industry players are considering a hybrid approach that combines LEO and existing VSAT services to ensure consistent connectivity and access to managed services. OneWeb plans to complete its final ground stations and meet operational requirements, with the aim of offering comprehensive global maritime services by the end of the year.

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