Marlink, the smart network and digital solutions company, has won the contract to deploy its smart hybrid network solutions on the owned fleet of leading Japanese shipowner Fukujin Kisen Co Ltd.
Marlink already provides communications solutions to the Fukujin Kisen fleet and the increase of its commitment reflects Marlink’s consistent delivery of innovative solutions to the company, helping to optimise vessel operations and support the company’s business and crew welfare strategies.
The new hybrid network solution combining Marlink VSAT and LEO L-band back-up includes the Starlink high throughput, low latency LEO internet solution. A trial Starlink installation was made on a Capesize bulk carrier, alongside high capacity VSAT and L-band back-up.
Imabari-based Fukujin Kisen owns and manages a wide variety of vessels including containerships and product carriers, with a primary focus on bulk carriers chartered out to major shipping companies in Japan and overseas.
During the trial, Fukujin Kisen used the LEO internet services to provide an additional layer of interactive network capability onboard ship. Starlink’s high speed, low latency connectivity formed an integral part of the hybrid network solution, designed to provide a high Maximum Information Rate (MIR) with low latency alongside the guaranteed Committed Information Rate(CIR) provided via VSAT.
Key to improving the quality of the user experience is Marlink’s XChange platform which uses SD-WAN functionality to enable cloud applications and remote operations at sea by ensuring guaranteed connectivity levels to run business and crew applications that Starlink’s high bandwidth alone cannot provide. XChange enables the seamless fusion of the different networks - whether GEO, LEO or L-band - to leverage the benefits of a single secure network hybrid solution with the highest uptime available and guaranteed global coverage.