Columbia Shipmanagement Outfits Fleet with Iridium Satellite Communications

BETHESDA, MD, Oct. 4/Satnews Daily/ — Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement is fitting more than 100 ships with Iridium satellite terminals in a move to comply with SSAS carriage requirements and reduce ship communication costs.

According to Iridium, the MVS Group is supplying the Iridium and SSAS service along with Iridium equipment manufactured by Sky Connect. The equipment will be used for voice calls, e-mail and prepaid crew calling. Columbia will take advantage of Iridium’s unique In Network service, which provides low charges for calls routed directly from one Iridium phone to another.

The decision to make the switch to Iridium on a fleet-wide basis was taken after a six-month sea trial, according to Herbert Mikesch, manager for communication & electronics of Columbia Shipmanagement.

“We have decided to take advantage of this opportunity to bring our ships into compliance with the SSAS regulations, provide convenient crew calling facilities for our shipboard personnel and decrease monthly ship to shore communication expenses,” said Mikesch. “It also puts us in a position to be ready for LRSIT when it will be required in the future.”

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