Japan is one of the largest seafaring nations of the world with ocean-going vessels dominating a large part of its economy. As digitalization sweeps the maritime sector it’s enabling enhanced operations, increased productivity and on-board experience of every sub-sector from cargo to fishing to leisure and cruise, not to mention connecting the crew that operates on board. One of the principal benefits that digitalization brings to the maritime industry and Japan is connectivity – and satellite technology is pivotal for connectivity on board all sorts of vessels.
SKY Perfect JSAT
, a leading Japanese satellite operator is leveraging their new HTS satellite, JCSAT-1C, combined with the iDirect Velocity ground platform to deliver a new innovative, high-speed broadband service, JSATMarine, which will become operational in January next year. The new service will provide high-speed internet access as fast as 50Mbps (shore-to-ship) and 3Mbps (ship-to-shore) at monthly fixed rates enabling multiple type of connectivity application across a variety of sectors.
Service coverage will extend from the Western Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean region. This is the first Velocity hub purchased by SKY Perfect JSAT and the service will be combined with enhanced network security such as encryption and managed firewalls to ensure secure access.
Velocity is ST Engineering iDirect’s field-proven mobility ground platform, already adopted by many HTS satellite operators. The platform enables SKY Perfect JSAT to launch managed services underpinned by flexible business models including different service packages and SLAs tailored for different applications. With this unique platform, SKY Perfect JSAT also anticipates launching a VNO (Virtual Network Operator) offering.
The introduction of JSATMarine will enable shipping companies to take advantage of its connectivity for the promotion of maritime IoT solutions to achieve higher standards of safety navigation and operational efficiency. Moreover, through faster Wi-Fi access, it can support more video communications and improve crew welfare as the maritime industry copes with COVID-19 crew change crises.
As part of SKY Perfect JSAT’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s target commitment, JSATMarine’s ground system and teleport facility will be fully powered by renewable energy.