MAERSK has signed a deal to roll out Starlink’s satellite internet across its ocean fleet.
Starlink is a highspeed satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX. It was designed to withstand extreme conditions at sea.
Maersk plans to install Starlink on its owned fleet of more than 330 containerships and anticipates benefits for crew welfare and business impact.
The agreement follows a pilot phase in which crew on more than 30 Maersk vessels tested Starlink technology. Maersk said it received “very positive” feedback from the trial.
Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at Maersk, said the company was delighted to announce its journey with Starlink.
“The highspeed connectivity will enable our seagoing colleagues to stay connected with their loved ones while at sea,” he said.
“It will also propel the expansion of seamless cloud solutions, enabling our vision to digitalise our vessel operations.”
Maersk said the highspeed, low latency internet would enable seamless streaming and high definition videocalls for crew members.
It also expects the connectivity to facilitate cost saving measures by moving business critical applications into the cloud and by strengthening remote support and inspections of the vessels.
Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of Starlink commercial sales at SpaceX, said Maersk’s vessels are key to global trade.
“Starlink’s high-speed broadband through the world’s most advance satellite internet constellation will help boost efficiency through seamless connectivity no matter where in the world they are,” he said.
Starlink’s vision is to “create a globally connected world” where opportunities are not limited by geography.
