Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk is embarking on a collaboration with Starlink, the pioneering satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX.
Maersk’s more than 330 own operated container vessels will have Starlink installed, enabling high-speed internet with speeds over 200 Mbps. The service is a leap forward in terms of internet speed and latency which will bring significant benefits in terms of both crew welfare and business impact.
The deal comes after a successful pilot phase where crew members on more than 30 Maersk vessels have had the opportunity to test the Starlink technology, which resulted in a “very positive feedback,” as global leader of integrated container logistics A.P. Moller-Maersk notes.
Roll-out is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2024.
Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at A.P. Moller – Maersk, said: “We are excited to announce our journey with Starlink to provide state of the art connectivity to our sea going colleagues. The highspeed connectivity will enable our seagoing colleagues to stay connected with their loved ones while at sea. It will also propel the expansion of seamless cloud solutions, enabling our vision to digitalise our vessel operations.”
Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink commercial sales pointed out that “A.P. Moller- Maersk’s vessels are key to global trade, and Starlink’s high-speed broadband through the world’s most advance satellite internet constellation will help boost efficiency through seamless connectivity no matter where in the world they are.”
Besides obvious benefits from highspeed internet resulting in seamless streaming and high definition videocalls for crew members, high-speed, low latency internet will also facilitate cost saving measures by moving business critical applications into the cloud and by strengthening remote support and inspections of the vessels.
