INMARSAT has unveiled plans for a next-generation maritime safety terminal.
The satellite communications company intends to connect the new terminal to Inmarsat’s ELERA L-band satellite network.
Peter Broadhurst, senior vice president of safety and regulatory at Inmarsat Maritime, said the terminal was designed to meet requirements and performance standards set by the International Maritime Organization.
He highlighted the network’s alignment with the IMO Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, Long-Range Identification and Tracking system and Ship Security Alert System.
“Subject to all regulatory requirements, we expect the new safety terminal to become the standard Inmarsat safety offering to the market from 2024 onwards with significant additional capabilities,” Mr Broadhurst said.
“It is therefore the ideal complement to Fleet Safety, which itself represents a major modernisation of maritime safety communications and sets new standards in the protection of lives at sea.”
Inmarsat is designing the terminal to offer access to Fleet Safety, a service which aims to modernise safety communication in global shipping.
By connecting to Fleet Safety, the terminal will also support access to a distress chat function.
The company said shipowners can use the terminal to leverage existing and future IoT services via the ELARA network.
Inmarsat said it also plans to supplement its ELERA network with two new satellites, scheduled to enter service in the coming year.
The soon-to-be-launched I-6 F2 satellite aims to supplement the existing I-6 F1 satellite to support new applications and global safety services into the 2040s and beyond.
