The Quasar Expeditions yachts Grace and Evolution and the Kleintours cruise ship Galapágos Legend, three specialised Galápagos Islands tour vessels, have signed up to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service as their primary connectivity system, following two contracts signed with the owners by Inmarsat partner Comsatel.
Located approximately 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos Islands form a remote archipelago home to a unique and highly protected ecosystem.
Communications in the surrounding area have typically been poor, with the islands’ topography affecting signal strength. However, demand is increasing among visitors, so satellite services are aiming to meet these requirements.
“Passenger demographics are changing, and with younger audiences come greater bandwidth demands,” said Christian Cordoba, Maritime Channel Manager, Americas, Inmarsat Maritime.
“Today’s expedition guests visiting the Galápagos Islands want to share their experiences of this incredible destination on social media, or directly with friends and family, and this requires high data speeds and continuous connectivity. Fleet Xpress is therefore the ideal solution for high-end operators like Quasar Expeditions and Kleintours.”
The connectivity package will include further Inmarsat systems such as Fleet Hotspot, which provides crew members with dedicated bandwidth, and access to Fleet Connect, enabling Inmarsat’s Certified Application Providers to deliver valued-added services to the vessels.
