Satellite operator Intelsat has confirmed that its FlexMaritime service has been granted regulatory clearance to expand coverage into Indian territorial waters, allowing service providers reselling its VSAT packages to provide connectivity to Indian-registered vessels and other ships operating in the region.
The expansion is made possible by a new in-country gateway connecting with Intelsat’s HTS (high throughput satellite) network under India-based partner Cloudcast’s In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) licence.
“The completion of this regulatory milestone means customers of our FlexMaritime solutions partners will immediately benefit from the well-known power, performance and resilience of the FlexMaritime service in Indian waters,” said Intelsat Senior Vice President of Mobility, Mark Rasmussen.
“The network expansion also demonstrates Intelsat’s commitment to mobility services providing yet another new dimension of global trade with access for Indian companies.”
The FlexMaritime service is currently used to provide connectivity to some 8,000 vessels using a variety of terminals, including 37cm, 45cm, 60cm and 1 metre antennas. The new gateway will be located in Noida, India, serving as a link between Intelsat’s terrestrial ground network and its space assets.
Services are slated for availability at the beginning of 2022.
