Starlink’s telecommunications satellites are revealing their potential in the invasion of Ukraine, preventing the Russians from disrupting communications between the Ukrainian military. But if the war demonstrated the effectiveness of Starlink in conflicts, there are other types of activities that have also shown interest in the network that already supplies 500,000 subscribers with its 3,000 satellites, such as commercial aviation and, now, cargo or cruise. It should be remembered that Starlink, operated by SpaceX, is managed by the CEO of Tesla, a construction company that guarantees that its vehicles will soon offer connectivity using the new generation of satellites.
Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is a Japanese operator of ships of all types, from bulk carriers to container ships and from Ro-Ro to the transport of cars to oil tankers, passing through cruise ships. MOL CEO Takeshi Hashimoto confirmed that the trial period for Starlink’s offshore system would begingiven the company’s need to always be in contact with its ships, which is not always easy or fast with conventional systems.
Compared to traditional satellites, Starlink’s offering low latency and higher communication capacity, two characteristics that are considered essential for maritime transport. Not only do they ensure communications between the ship and headquarters on land, even in the worst storms, they ensure that all passengers on board can talk to whoever they want at all times.
Starlink Maritime’s service is not cheap, but it guarantees a speed of to download 350 Mbps in the middle of the ocean. MOL doesn’t seem to be concerned about cost, as long as this translates into another business case. premium to attract customers and, at the same time, increase the safety of their ships and cargo. But without giving up a trial period, to check the added value of the system in real conditions of use.
Source: Observadora
