In-depth | SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IP data and voice service launched
A new mobile satellite service with enhanced bandwidth has recently been launched for the marine market.
O
penPort, a marine satellite communication utility, was unveiled by Iridium in February
this year. Intended for use on commer- cial fishing vessels, luxury yachts, and tugs, the IP connectivity enables applica- tions including crew calling, e-mail, up to three voice lines, and f lexible data speeds up to 128kilobits/second (kbps). All voice and data circuits can be used simultaneously. Prices of data packages are claimed
to be simple, calculated by megabyte, and tiered in order to address different requirements for clients with mid-range bandwidth usage. Tis is an area Iridium has focused on as it believes that this is where the majority of custom will originate. Terefore, the system has been optimised for mobility, rather than high bandwidth, and global coverage will be available from initial set-up, using Iridium’s global satellite network, which includes polar coverage. Te per-megabyte prices are reckoned to
be at least 30% lower than any other marine sitcom service, and with this advantage, Iridium expects to capture around a 10% share of the estimated US$400 million annual marine mobile satellite service market. Ship-to-shore crew calling can also be billed using prepaid cards.
The technology Iridium has initially targeted the marine market with this product as it is the sector with the highest demand, and the company could bring the service to market quickly. Two years of research and development have produced the OpenPort terminal, which contains an array of six phased ray antenna elements, but no moving parts. The unstabilised, omni-directional
antenna array measures just 23cm high and 57cm in diameter, and thus is compact, an advantage where space is at a premium on a small vessel. At set-up, the terminal should quickly receive a satellite service,
Ship & Boat International May/June 2008 The Iridium OpenPort terminal is designed for use on small vessels.
as it is estimated that a satellite will be directly overhead from any system every eight to 10 minutes. Te terminal is lightweight and claimed
to be easy to install as it uses simple Cat5 cabling, with installation time estimated at no longer than a few hours. It is also said to be simple enough to self-install. Te unit below deck measures 25cm by
20cm, is wall-mounted, SIM-based, and LED-configured through a web interface and give status updates as to how well the system is functioning. Installation costs are claimed to be 50%
to 90% lower than comparable products and the system is said to be maintenance- free. The satellite network is reckoned to be highly reliable, as it is designed to accommodate around one million users, and this high capacity means that the stated data speed should almost always be achieved.
Support partner In March, Iridium announced that Sperry Marine, a business unit of Northrop Grumman, will be the global support partner for OpenPort. Sperry Marine will act as the interface between seafarers and Iridium, providing a worldwide network of trained service locations for installing,
commissioning, testing, and servicing the shipboard equipment. Under the agreement, Sperry Marine
will also supply logistics, handling, and distribution of equipment inventory at support locations, and will provide workshop repairs at its centre in Vlaardin- gen, Te Netherlands. UK-based Zodiac Maritime Agencies
is one of the first companies to place an order for the systems, as it will be equipping its f leet of 125 ships, with OpenPort under a service agreement with soſtware company AND group. Roll-out to the entire fleet should be completed by the end of 2008. Zodiac originally fitted its fleet with
Iridium systems and AND soſtware in 2006, and is claimed to have realised significant savings in monthly communi- cation costs. A number of sea trials are currently
taking place, including aboard a diving support vessel in Asia, and there is a backlog of more than 2500 units on order from major service providers. The OpenPort service is scheduled
to become commercially available by the end of the third quarter of 2008, at a recommended retail price of around US$5000. SBI
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