Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator OneWeb and satcom service provider Marlink have announced a new partnership which will see Marlink offer OneWeb connectivity to maritime and other markets, on a regional basis this year and globally from 2023.
“OneWeb is building a new generation of business broadband services, powered by low earth orbit satellites to create a truly global connectivity network to the high seas,” said Carole Plessy, OneWeb’s Vice President of Maritime.
“OneWeb, together with Marlink connectivity solutions, will allow the maritime industry a pathway to digitalisation, both on and offshore. Marlink is the highly respected industry leader, and we are delighted to be introducing the first steps in our partnership to the industry.”
The two companies plan to initially concentrate on serving the energy sector in regions above the 50th parallel north this year, with maritime and other sectors in line to be offered connectivity services on a global scale from January 2023.
OneWeb and Marlink note that they will also begin working together on deploying, testing and demonstrating the capabilities of several types of user terminals and LEO connectivity services as the partnership develops.
“Together with OneWeb, we will significantly improve Marlink’s hybrid connectivity solutions for our energy and maritime customers,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime at Marlink.
“Adding OneWeb’s capabilities will further enhance our smart hybrid network to support the digitalisation of our customers’ remote operations, and in particular to enable our customers’ cloud applications.”
OneWeb currently has 394 satellites in low earth orbit, representing approximately 60% of its planned fleet. Launches are scheduled to continue during 2022 to enable the company to offer commercial connectivity services globally for maritime in 2023.
