Digitalization Of The Asia Pacific Maritime Industry Can Start To Be Supported Through Satellite Communication

JAKARTA - Maritime satellite industry for Asia Pacific is projected to grow by 11 percent in the 2021 to 2026 period. This is driven by several factors such as increased ship traffic in the Asia Pacific region, development of maritime security policies, and suppression of ship crew safety and assets spread across the sea.

Digital technology has now become a must to gain competitive advantages for the company. This can be seen from companies in the Asia Pacific region that are starting to embrace the presence of digitalization in order to improve cargo handling, ship routes, port operations, crew placements, and many others," said Blue C Mobile CEO Wesley Tham in a statement received by VOI, Thursday, October 20.

Therefore, the IEC Telecom Group, a provider of international communications services, together with Blue C Mobile, a Singapore-based provider of VSAT satellite services, collaborates to deliver affordable digital tools for all types of ships in the Asia Pacific region in Inamarine 2022.

Inamarine 2022 is an international exhibition for the maritime and offshore industry which runs from 19 to 21 October 2022 at JIExpo Kemayoran Jakarta.

"By working with IEC Telecom, we meet the needs and ensure the business continuity of these companies, especially for small ship owners and operators. Digitalization can currently access more than 300 percent of monthly data and 20 percent of their current satellite communications," Wesley said.

The presence of digitalization allows the provision of real-time data that encourages effective decision making in order to increase operational efficiency, optimize the safety process, and reduce fuel consumption.

In addition, special connectivity on ships guarantees increased safety for crew members, more precise work coordination, and better working conditions on board.

The cumulative effect of digitalization itself leads to a significant reduction in costs, even reaching 30 percent of operational costs.

"Digitalization is no longer a luxury item, but is an operational necessity. Over the years, digitalization has been seen as an advantage that only certain sectors have," said CCO and IEC Telecom Group president for Asia, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Merdeka countries, Nabil Ben Soussia.

"Together with Blue C Mobile, we are working together to eliminate this view by proving that digitalization access can be affordable for all types of ships, both large commercial vessels and small fishing vessels," he added.

There is also demand for advanced security systems and smooth ship connectivity in China, Japan, Indonesia and India. Moreover, the demand for maritime data and analysis is expected to boost market growth of up to 370 million US dollars, equivalent to IDR 467 billion in 2028.

Meanwhile, the VSAT solution offered by Blue C Mobile is supported by a 60 cm VSAT antenna at an affordable and low cost. Designed specifically for the needs of small, medium and non-budget ships that do not have a large budget for antenna installation costs.

An integrated antenna management system with a single cable connection allows reduced shipping and installation costs for cruise ships, fishing vessels, and offshore vessels that make VSAT services much more affordable and easy to access.

The IEC Telecom is also supported by a network management system, namely with OneGate devices that allow an unlimited transition between VSAT and L-band.

Lastly, the OneGate system also offers a variety of apps optimized for communications at sea, such as video conferencing, long-distance maintenance, electronic learning, Internet of Things (IoT) and asset surveillance.