Tanker operator Frontline has committed to Inmarsat XpressLink for more than 100 vessels from its existing fleet and its planned new-builds.
XpressLink is a newly introduced ‘interim’ satcoms package that allows ship owners to roll-out and use a Ku-band VSAT until Inmarsat’s higher-spec Ka-band service goes live in 2013. It includes FleetBroadband as a failover option, to ensure connectivity outside Ku-band coverage areas.
Frontline was already a satisfied customer of Ship Equip, the Ku-band service provider Inmarsat acquired last September, and through which it is delivering its branded VSAT.
‘It was a purely commercial decision,’ says Kjell S. Langva of Frontline Management AS. ‘The cost-benefit profile and the failover capability, which offers unlimited usage on Inmarsat FleetBroadband, were key to the decision,’ he adds.
Inmarsat’s president for maritime, Frank Coles, believes it is a landmark deal for XpressLink: ‘This is a significant endorsement by the world leader in crude oil shipping. It confirms that we have a highly-competitive product, offering value for money, and with the right focus on delivering reliable high-speed broadband through a combination of L-band and VSAT services.’