Seaspan has announced its partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink, marking a pivotal moment in the maritime industry. This partnership underscores the growing importance of online communication on ships, which is vital for the safety, efficiency, and well-being of the vessels and their crews.
Onboard communication is instrumental in enhancing situational awareness, enabling timely decision-making, and significantly contributing to the mental well-being of the crew. An onboard internet connection allows crew members to communicate with their families, stay updated with news and entertainment, and maintain a sense of normalcy.
The collaboration between Seaspan and Starlink began in 2021, with Seaspan being an early adopter of the maritime flat panel antenna mount kit. The company confirmed that the technology would cater to the unique needs of containership marine operations.
Following a successful trial period in 2022, Seaspan has now decided to incorporate this advanced technology across its entire fleet.
Chris Sepp, Vice President of Information Technology at Seaspan, said, “This collaboration with SpaceX Starlink supports Seaspan’s strategic vision of treating any vessel no differently than a remote office from an IT Services and Support provision perspective.”
He further added on Thursday, “The low Earth orbit, low latency, high bandwidth service provided by SpaceX’s Starlink allows us to deliver on this vision and our commitment to our crew, as well as their safety and comfort onboard our vessels.”
The decision to implement this technology across Seaspan’s entire fleet was significantly influenced by the positive feedback received from Seaspan’s seafarers during the initial deployments. “We are deploying management and cyber risk tools and technologies so we can more effectively and efficiently support our growing vessel fleet at scale,” Sepp added.
The integration of this technology is a key component of Seaspan’s Digital Strategy, with Sepp noting that “Crew feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
As of December 31, 2022, Seaspan Corporation, the world’s leading containership leasing company, primarily offers long-term, fixed-rate leases to the largest container shipping liners globally. The company’s operating fleet comprises 132 vessels with a total capacity of 1,219,080 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit. In addition, Seaspan has 58 vessels under construction, which will increase the total fleet capacity to 1,919,080 TEU once fully delivered.
On Friday morning, SpaceX launched 56 more Starlink satellites into orbit, again increasing its constellation and improving internet capacity for customers.
Deployment of 56 @Starlink satellites confirmed
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 23, 2023
