Inmarsat outlines forward-thinking strategy
In an online statement, Inmarsat said that, in conjunction with International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network and the main seafarer charities, and in co-ordination with managers and owners, it is “committed to helping crew keep connected during the current Covid-19 outbreak”
Ronald Spithout, Inmarsat Maritime President, said: “Since the virus first became widespread in Asia we have been working across the company and with our partners to take proactive steps to keep seafarers connected and in touch with loved ones during this difficult time.”
He added: “Given Inmarsat’s position as the leading provider of maritime VSAT services at sea, it is hardly surprising that we have been alert to the direct connection between coronavirus and surging demand for crew voice call and data services. As elsewhere, anxiety levels at sea have been on the rise with the spread of COVID-19.”
In February, Inmarsat enabled free of charge additional call time for users of its ChatCard voice services for crew. All ship managers offering the service have been made aware of the offer, while it also sought help from groups such as the Singapore Shipowners Association to spread the word.
Inmarsat also provides medical advice and assistance free of charge to seafarers over Fleet One, FleetBroadband and F77 services – anywhere, anytime and for anybody in need. It has also prioritised telemedicine as an area for service development with our application partners, at no cost to owners or the crew.
However, with anxiety over coronavirus at a high pitch worldwide, Spithout said “those at sea are as entitled as any to the medical and policy updates disseminated by authorities and news media, whether aimed at seafarers themselves or their loved ones at home.”
As a result, he said in recent weeks Inmarsat has also been working with a number of shipowners to find other ways of subsidising increasing bandwidth demands from vessels. Additionally, he added the company is soon to announce further incentives that its wholesale partners can choose to use to provide additional support for crew using its services.
He concluded: “As COVID-19 unfolds, there is much more to be done, especially in driving forward our work with the welfare and charitable organisations but also working even closer with shipowners, managers and even the Master on board to ensure that crew get access to the new packages that are being created.
“We will continue to discuss and act on what more can be done on crew connectivity by all parties in the days and weeks ahead and we already have a working group with ISWAN and the charities in order to support seafarers as much as we can during this time. We need everyone to embrace these challenges and work together on these initiatives as the responsibility doesn’t just fall on the satellite operator or welfare association at this time, we’re all in this together.”
For more information visit www.inmarsat.com
30th March 2020
