Managed Services Solution
MTN Satellite Communications (MTN), which has been best known as the dominant supplier of VSAT products and services for the cruise industry, is emerging in the commercial maritime VSAT market. StreamXcel Plus is its new managed-services solution, which provides bandwidth optimization functions as well as an integrated shipboard platform for VSAT and Inmarsat connectivity.
StreamXcel Plus is a suite of tools permitting vessel owners to optimize their ships’ satellite voice and data traffic while minimizing costs. It also provides seamless worldwide coverage for vessels using MTN’s Ku-Band VSAT service, with automatic rollover to Inmarsat FleetBroadband whenever the vessel moves outside the Ku-Band beams.
StreamXcel Plus provides two separate onboard networks for corporate communications and crew welfare. The corporate network includes two voice lines, data and Internet access over VSAT with FleetBroadband as a backup communications system. It also provides VSAT bandwidth optimization through state-of-the-art data compression and caching techniques to speed data transfer over MTN’s VSAT network. According to the company, the VSAT bandwidth optimizer saves time and reduces communication costs with applications performing up to 100 times faster and more responsively.
The crew morale network offers two voice lines using MTN’s OceanPhone® stored-value calling plans and Wi-Fi access. MTN’s crew-calling and Internet billing platform offers crew members several ways to purchase calling and Internet services. The bandwidth for crew calling and Internet comes at no additional cost to the shipowner and does not interfere with the bandwidth dedicated to the ship’s business. The crew network is temporarily disconnected while the ship is using FleetBroadband to avoid running up high charges for crew calling. Crew services are automatically resumed when the ship re-enters MTN’s Ku-Band coverage area.
StreamXcel Plus incorporates a wide range of tools to help the shipping company manage its ship-to-shore voice and data links, data compression, remote administration of servers and computers on board, and anti-virus, anti-spam and content filtering. MTN’s optional bandwidth-analyzer software also gives the shipowner greater visibility into VSAT traffic and usage patterns for analysis.
MTN is said to be unique in the maritime VSAT marketplace in that it offers a guaranteed uncontended Committed Information Rate (CIR), which means that bandwidth is always available on a 1:1 contention ratio whenever the ship is communicating through the MTN VSAT network. The service plans also provide for a Maximum Information Rate (MIR), which allows for “burstability” to higher data rates when needed, for instance when transmitting very large data files.
MTN’s first customer for StreamXcel Plus is the German project and heavy-lift carrier, Beluga Shipping, which installed an MTN VSAT system on its new P-class ship, Beluga Shanghai. Beluga’s initial service plan calls for 128 Kbps CIR with the ability to surge to higher rates as needed. Beluga is also installing a fixed MTN VSAT system in Bremen for system integration and vessel simulation. The company plans to leverage the broadband ship-to-shore connections to integrate the fleet’s ICT systems and processes into its worldwide enterprise infrastructure and network. For instance, the ships’ voice-over-IP (VoIP) switching systems will be connected via MTN to the central PBX exchange at Beluga’s headquarters, so the entire fleet can be managed from the central switchboard as a worldwide network.
Online learning for crew
Cyprus-based Intership Navigation Co. Ltd. is leveraging MTN’s worldwide broadband satellite connections to enable a unique online crew training initiative on two new bulk carriers.
The 177,000 deadweight ton ships are being built at the New Century Shipyard in Jing Jiang, China, the DHL Pacific and the Percival. Both ships were designed as designated training vessels, which can accommodate up to 12 nautical students and a training officer in addition to their standard crew complement. The shipboard training center includes a secondary training bridge, separate from the ship’s navigation bridge, with a state-of-the-art simulator for watch-keeping instruction. The practical hands-on training is supplemented by an online education program from Magellan Academy of Shipping & Transport (MAST), a web-based academy that offers e-learning courses for nautical and technical seagoing staff.
Using the MTN satellite connection, the students can participate in chat rooms and online forums to seek advice from career coaches at the company’s shore training center in Manila. It also permits the shipboard training officers to access and check e-learning results of students via the shore-based MAST administration software and provide assistance as needed.
