A German owner of dry cargo ships will connect over 80 vessels to SpaceX’s Starlink LEO constellation to improve operational and crew communications
Oldendorff Carriers has extended satellite communications across its bulk carrier fleet by installing hardware to connect to SpaceX’s Starlink low-Earth orbiting (LEO) constellation.
It is connecting more than 80 vessels to Starlink as the Lubeck, Germany-headquartered owner has seen increasing demand for operational and crew communications.
Marlink is deploying Starlink terminals as part of its integrated connectivity network that already includes very small aperture terminals (VSAT) to link with geostationary orbiting satellites for Ku-band connectivity and terminals supporting L-band back-up and safety communications.
“As demand for operational and crew connectivity continues to grow across our vessels, we require flexible and dependable network solutions that can scale dynamically with our operational needs,” said Oldendorff Carriers head of IT operations, Matthias Hamann.
“By expanding our partnership with Marlink and integrating managed LEO connectivity into our existing network environment, we are enhancing the performance, flexibility and resilience of onboard communications worldwide.”
This hybrid connectivity service provides resilient, high-speed, low-latency communications, supporting ship-to-shore data exchange, digital operational workflows and enhanced internet access for seafarers, across Oldendorff’s global trading routes.
Marlink said this fleetwide deployment reflects the accelerating adoption of LEO connectivity across the maritime sector.
By combining multiple satellite technologies shipowners can get higher bandwidth, greater data allocations, lower latency and improved resilience, to introduce a growing range of operational and crew applications.
“Our expanded partnership with Oldendorff Carriers demonstrates how hybrid network solutions integrating multiple GEO-LEO services can support modern vessel operations while ensuring reliable digital experiences for crews worldwide,” said Marlink president for maritime, Tore Morten Olsen.
Through our managed service approach, we help customers adapt new technologies in a secure and operationally efficient way.”
