Sashimi-grade tuna specialist Toei Reefer Line recently switched its satellite service provision for four internationally-trading ships to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress solution, with the move recognising the importance that reliable and enhanced connectivity can play in crew wellbeing when spending long periods at sea in remote locations, and the crucial role this has in ensuring high-quality products.
The new contract also includes Fleet Care support services.
Toei operates two distinctive vessel types; one that receives fish caught by vessels at sea and transported to countries like Japan and Korea; and the other being factory vessels that work around the Mediterranean countries and Australia. Both are designed to serve the Japanese consumer market, which is renowned for its discerning palate.
At sea, there are up to 50 personnel on board any vessel, while the operator’s ships are deployed in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and beyond.
Toei maintains that “quality is a necessity” at all stages of the supply chain, with end customers demanding individual care and attention that is backed up by robust online services, and it insists that sustaining quality relies heavily on retaining skilled crews – to load and operate the ships which process, prepare and store high-value cargoes at temperatures as low as -55oC.
“Coverage and reliable support are central considerations in selecting VSAT connectivity,” a Toei spokesperson said. “The coverage of Fleet Xpress is very wide and far ahead of all other competitors.”
For the crew, the carrier opted for free crew internet up to 10GB/month, with greater usage available using the pre-paid Fleet Hotspot dedicated crew channel. Fleet Hotspot ensures the crews’ demand for connectivity has no impact on business channels.
“Providing crew with unlimited data has proved to be extremely beneficial in supporting their welfare needs,” the spokesman added. “This was one of the challenges we sought to solve in increasing data speeds as part of our choice of service.”
Provision has also been made for Toei Reefer Line to evaluate greater use of analytics in ship efficiency management, enabled by Inmarsat’s IoT-based platform Fleet Data and its Certified Applications Partner programme.
The spokesperson said, “In an industry that is changing rapidly year on year, it is essential that the provider brings expertise and local support to serve our requirements, as well as the right proposal. Relationships and responsiveness are critical, and so is technology. We also recognise the value of Inmarsat’s Fleet Care service and maintenance package.
“As a next step, we are evaluating the use of dual GX antenna for all four vessels and upgrading our existing plan to FX Premium MIR 6Mbps/3Mbps (with CIR). This will ensure that our communication service is more efficient which will help our business and support our efforts in continuous crew welfare.”
The four-ship transition came after extended, collaborative trials of the service onboard the 4,150gt Toei Reefer Line ship Kurikomaduring the second-half of 2020.
With vessels widely deployed, installations took place on their return to Japan after several months, with support provided by KGK Japan.
As a highspeed Ka-band (GX) plus continuous FleetBroadband (L-band) back up hybrid service, Fleet Xpress has been installed on more than 11,000 ships worldwide.
Meanwhile, Inmarsat is “far advanced” in its plans to upgrade Arctic coverage by introducing two new GX satellite payloads dedicated to the region in partnership with Space Norway.
In the longer-term, it recently unveiled ORCHESTRA, a network that will bring together existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites with new low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G in an integrated solution. It has also launched ELERA – a global narrowband network suited to the rapidly evolving IoT.
All commercial fishing boats are expected to benefit from both networks’ ability to provide connectivity wherever needed, Inmarsat said.
