Poor communication kills maritime VSAT opportunities

According to a recent maritime satcom conference, both VSAT system vendors and users needed clear lines of communication and understanding when it comes to the use, limitations, and management of satellite communications.

The GVF Conference on Broadband Maritime in London last month covered topics like the market size and the relative merits of the different technologies of maritime satellite communications. But the spotlight ended up focusing on the lack of communications between maritime communications vendors and system users.

Demetris Makaritis, Fleet Manager, Navigator Gas, reported his experience and opinion that VSAT services are intermittently available and often not operational. He cited the example of one vessel reporting 60% down time for its VSAT system in March and April. He did allow that he would happily pay more for bandwidth- that is, if he gets his money's worth.

Probing into the matter revealed that Navigator Gas was using an antenna that wasn't up to the company's requirements. Apparently, Navigator Gas did not inform the satellite communications provider of its exact requirements, so the vendor provided a VSAT model that was not up to the business' expectation.

Similarly, Kaushik Roy, DPA and Company Security Officer for MOL LNG, claimed that the VSAT service was unreliable. Officer Roy did keep Fleet Broadband as a backup, but he also complained that he couldn’t get through to the ship if the crew used up all the capacity for downloading books or movies.

The solution was painfully obvious: Traffic prioritization. However, MOL LNG apparently did not have any staff who possessed knowledge about prioritizing traffic.

Navigator Gas and MOL LNG are major maritime operators. Navigator Gas is the owner-operator of a dozen modern, massive semi-refrigerated gas carriers. Meanwhile, MOL LNG is part of the 910-vessel-strong Mitsui OSK Lines. MOL LNG itself has a hand in transporting 25% of the world’s Liquid Natural Gas (LNG.) Yet such serious misunderstandings still ensued between them and the vendors/providers of VSAT services.

The bigger picture reveals that there are roughly 9,000 commercial ship owners worldwide. (This approximate does not include fisheries and leisure.) Half of that number own just one ship. And these small operators would fare even worse in trying to understand satellite communications because they lack the resources of big companies.

A conference participant asked why the ship or company's radio officer was not involved in the buying process. The participant presumed that the radio officer would know what the ship's technical communications requirements were.

However, Kuba Szymanski of Intermanager revealed that the post of Radio Officer had been gone for many years, a casualty of obsolescence after computers superseded wireless.


The demise of the Radio Officer position meant that VSAT buyers did not have anyone who had a grasp of telecommunications. Deprived of relevant expertise, the buyers would not know the right questions to ask to obtain the service they need.

The conference also noted that there were reportedly many cases of satcoms providers who often lacked information about the unique needs of its customers.

The GVF Conference recommended that buyers needed to be properly educated in VSAT and other forms of satellite communications. Maritime academies currently do not provide courses on this critically important skill.

In addition, Richard Roithner of Euroconsult pointed out that telecoms represent less than 1% of a ship's operating expenses, so it could not demand a lion's share of the typical mariner's expensive education.

Suggestions to rectify the situation involved the satellite communications vendors taking a hand in educating themselves and their customers. Vendors were recommended to understand the maritime market's specific needs and to educate their customers on the capacities of their offered systems.