IEC Telecom has extended the availability of its OneGate Marine Compact regional satcom service to small and medium sized vessels to Asia, following its initial launch for European customers earlier this year.
The service runs on Thuraya’s L-band satellite network, optimised for maritime use and operating on compact equipment suitable to fit the space constraints of smaller vessels.
“When we started the development of OneGate Marine Compact a year ago, we could not have anticipated the upcoming pandemic, but its launch now comes at the right time,” said Nabil Ben Soussia, CEO, Asia, Middle East and CIS at IEC Telecom.
“Covid-19 makes connectivity of paramount importance and surfaced many inherent weaknesses faced by the industry, and new regulations, like port closure, can be imposed at any time. While large vessels are equipped with several channels of communication, most small and mid-sized vessels remain out of reach.”
“Today, with the launch of OneGate Marine Compact, for the first time in the industry, digitalisation becomes possible and most importantly affordable to all maritime sectors, offered with flexible tariff plans and no long-term commitment. Besides, the new technology will enable maritime SMEs to use various telecom applications to optimise their business processes and increase operational efficiency, creating new opportunities and contributing to the regional GDP growth.”
