Photo: MOL
Elon Musk’s satellite communication service keeps spreading like wildfire, both geographically and across different fields. The most recent good news saw Starlink being confirmed in places like Alaska, Canada, and throughout Australia, where high-speed connectivity had been an issue for so long. On its way to revolutionizing aviation connectivity soon, Starlink is first leaving its mark on maritime transportation as well.
A new exciting collaboration for the SpaceX-developed satellite communication service brings our attention not just to a different part of the world, but also to a different transportation sector. Starlink will start being tested on the huge shipping vessels operated by MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines), one of the largest maritime operators in the world, headquartered in Japan.
MOL’s President and CEO Takeshi Hashimoto officially confirmed that a Starlink trial period will begin on the company’s ocean-going vessels. Communication onboard ships still lags far behind land-based operations, MOL says, which is why digital transformation is much needed.
Compared to traditional satellites, Starlink’s constellation of satellites enables low latency and high-capacity communications. This is believed to have two major benefits. First, it drastically improves operational safety, by facilitating ship-to-shore communication in any situation. Second, it boosts quality life for the personnel onboard these commercial ships, which is something that’s unfortunately rarely talked about.
The Japanese giant isn’t jumping into a full commitment just yet. The first step is to “verify the effectiveness and operability of this new offshore communication technology,” during a period of sea trials.
Trials will most likely cost a lot of money, considering the whopping price of Starlink Maritime, the specific version for boats and ships. Launched earlier this year, Starlink Maritime claims to offer a download speed of up to 350 Mbps at sea, but for a high price. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for the Japanese shipping giant, as long as the results are as good as promised.
MOL’s President and CEO Takeshi Hashimoto officially confirmed that a Starlink trial period will begin on the company’s ocean-going vessels. Communication onboard ships still lags far behind land-based operations, MOL says, which is why digital transformation is much needed.
Compared to traditional satellites, Starlink’s constellation of satellites enables low latency and high-capacity communications. This is believed to have two major benefits. First, it drastically improves operational safety, by facilitating ship-to-shore communication in any situation. Second, it boosts quality life for the personnel onboard these commercial ships, which is something that’s unfortunately rarely talked about.
The Japanese giant isn’t jumping into a full commitment just yet. The first step is to “verify the effectiveness and operability of this new offshore communication technology,” during a period of sea trials.
Trials will most likely cost a lot of money, considering the whopping price of Starlink Maritime, the specific version for boats and ships. Launched earlier this year, Starlink Maritime claims to offer a download speed of up to 350 Mbps at sea, but for a high price. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for the Japanese shipping giant, as long as the results are as good as promised.
Google News