Maersk, Starlink Tie Up For Better Internet Connectivity
A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, also known as Maersk, is joining hands with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellite network to supply container ships with high-speed internet access. The objective is to improve crew morale and fasten their move into digitising logistics services.
On Thursday, as part of a pilot programme, about 30 vessels were fitted with the systems, the company said. Leonardo Sonzio, the head of fleet management and technology said that the company intends to have the technology installed on more than 330 company-owned ships by mid-2024.
During the pandemic, seafarers across the world encountered isolation more than most others, adding workplace stress such as fully loaded ships, long delays around ports, difficulty getting shore leave and employers basking in record profits. Aside from all this, the meagre internet connectivity on ocean voyages due to older satellites added to their distress.
The crisis is going to change when the shipping companies invest some of their profits on Starlink, which necessitates an upfront investment in the hardware and an ongoing subscription fee.
Copenhagen-based company’s announcement comes three weeks after Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd AG made similar plans public.
“Seafaring is a very challenging job, and an initiative like this is part of our overall attempt to increase the welfare and well-being of our seafarers while they’re on board,” Sonzio said in an interview. “This will have significant implications for them to be quite transformational.”
He then added that while sailing through remote areas like the South Pacific, opposed to the current scenario of limited connectivity for communications, Starlink offers seamless access to emails, social media and video calls.
Besides, Maersk believe that Starlink upgrade will aid in reducing on-board IT incidents in ship operations. As the connection problems improve, it will in turn improve communications between officers and land-based fleet managers and ultimately make goods flow more smoothly, Sonzio said.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
