VoIP for sea vessels and more

HOUSTON, US: CapRock Communications, a provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh locations,  announced a three-year contract with BW to deploy its SeaAccess service onboard its fleet of approximately 100 vessels including Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Carriers (LPGCs).

Under the terms of the agreement, CapRock will provide the fleet with voice over IP (VoIP), access to the corporate network and real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities to sustain communications between vessels and the company’s Singapore and Oslo offices.

The agreement follows the successful completion of a nine-month pilot program where SeaAccess’ always-on VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) services and capabilities were tested on the BW fleet against the existing pay-by-the-data rate communication solution.

As one of the world’s leading maritime groups in the tanker, gas and offshore segments, BW requires reliable connectivity on its vessels for efficient fleet operations.

Previously, BW relied on a metered solution with limited bandwidth and fluctuating monthly invoices. With the company’s IT infrastructure upgrade and the roll out of more corporate applications to its vessels, the existing solution no longer met the company’s needs.

“We are always looking to improve our communications technology and were exploring the option of implementing more corporate applications onboard our vessels. The other motivation is our desire to attract and retain seafarers by offering ‘home comforts’ such as Internet broadband services for them to keep in touch with their friends and families onshore,” said Geraldine Pang, General Manager, IT, BW Maritime.

“When we evaluated the service and support capabilities available with VSAT, CapRock was chosen based on its past experience in the maritime market. A key criteria for us was that the solution should provide reliable communication services globally, and over the course of the pilot program, CapRock proved it could meet our expectations.”

With the deployment of the turnkey SeaAccess solution — complete with network design, equipment installation and commissioning, and 24/7 helpdesk support — BW receives fixed monthly billing and always-on communications with scalable data rates to meet corporate and crew requirements.

As in most maritime installations, crew welfare services will be deployed that include dedicated bandwidth for Internet and prepaid calling cards with competitive calling rates. “Throughout the pilot program, we worked hand-in-hand with the BW team to design a solution that not only supported current needs but also continued to scale as the business grew,” said CapRock President, Maritime Division, Pal Jensen.