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SatComs Extended to Smaller Vessels
01 Dec 2003
One of the many exhibitors showing new marine communications equipment at Europort last month was France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications , which introduced Inmarsat Fleet 55 and 33 mobile satellite services. These mean that Inmarsat's Fleet family of maritime communications is no longer restricted to the high seas or transoceanic shipping, as medium sized and smaller vessels can now benefit from comprehensive sitcoms equipment.
Vessels operating in the coastal and near coastal environment have no need for the global coverage provided by the established Fleet 77. Fleet 77 has been unsuitable for installation in smaller boats due to the size and weight (up to 70kg) of the antenna. Fleet 55, with its 18kg antenna and Fleet 33, whose extremely compact antenna weighs in at only 8kg, can easily be installed on smaller vessels, bringing voice, fax and internet services as well as maritime information such as sea and weather charts to workboats and even leisure craft.
Fleet 55 offers global coverage for voice and spot coverage for email, fax and data services at 64kbit/sec ISDN or on packet mode (MPDS) for an equipment cost of less than $20,000. Fleet 33 provides the same services at 9.6 kbit/sec or MPDS for less than $11,000.
French Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications has been trialling Fleet 55 this year on the Spanish government owned research vessel Vizconde de Eza , which has been working on fishing and environmental issues.
The main purpose of the Vizconde de Eza 's mission is to research and analyse fishing resources and ocean protection.
It operates mainly in coastal waters and has no real need for coverage outside spot beam.
There is thus no requirement for Fleet 77.
However, the research team on board must still be able to send and receive data. Before Fleet 55, they were obliged to sail to port for data processing.
Data transmission can now be completed quickly and effectively while the vessel remains at sea.
This has, for example, allowed Vizconde de Eza tospend more time at the site of the Prestige sinking, where it has been analysing water quality and the impact of pollution upon the area.
MJ Information No: 18920
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