Mobile and satellite connectivity on the high seas, antennas and GSM base stations on 400 ocean-going container ships, network monitoring and maintenance of onboard equipment – these are the planned results of the cooperation between Maersk Line and Ericsson.
Maritime areas are still a zone largely untapped by mobile services. Constant mobile connectivity would give the maritime transport industry the opportunity to introduce new, more efficient methods of fleet and delivery schedule management, as well as improve interaction with ships. This would allow for preventing problems at sea, quickly providing information to customers, and even increasing the energy efficiency of maritime transport.
Maersk Line – a provider of maritime transport services, in cooperation with Ericsson, has decided to introduce mobile and satellite communication on all its container ships. Over the next two years, Maersk Line will equip 400 of its vessels with Ericsson antennas and GSM base stations. Shortly thereafter, these devices will also be installed on the remaining container ships. As part of the agreement, Ericsson will provide global management services, including continuous (24/7) network monitoring and maintenance of onboard equipment in numerous ports across all major regions of the world for seven years.
– We are very pleased that our fleet will be the first to have connectivity based on mobile communication technology. We believe this will allow us to communicate better with our colleagues at sea and improve customer service. In the near future, we will be carefully analyzing all the possibilities – said Søren Toft, Vice President of Maersk Line responsible for operations.
– Thanks to wireless technologies and appropriate sensors, we will be able to increase the safety of ships and maintain greater control over the environment – added Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.
Currently, modern and technically advanced Maersk Line container ships are equipped with satellite connectivity used mainly as auxiliary communication for key onboard functions. Ericsson’s integrated satellite solution, including a maritime mobile communication system and a VSAT terminal, will provide better connectivity for the entire fleet, which will allow for the introduction of new ways of communicating, increasing efficiency and reliability, and reducing costs. It also enables immediate remote access to knowledge and a wide range of information, which in turn improves the daily operational efficiency of the ships.