Inmarsat and ITC Global have announced a five-year strategic collaboration which will find the company's combining their complementary services to offer broadband connectivity and solutions to customers in the maritime, yachting and offshore energy sectors.
ITC Global will offer Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service, incorporating the Ka-band solution into its existing range of Ku-band connectivity services. Fleet Xpress for Offshore is powered by the Global Xpress Ka-band network, combined with the reliability of Inmarsat’s flagship, FleetBroadband L-band service.
Delivering high data speeds, continuous connectivity and guaranteed performance, the Ka-band service – which is now installed on over 8,000 vessels – sets a new standard for maritime global communications, with crew welfare, regulatory and operational drivers at the heart. Benefits include affordable voice calls, multiple voice options for crew and operations and high-speed broadband for internet access, plus 24/7 online support by certified engineers. For offshore clients, Fleet Xpress provides added subscription flexibility to meet seasonal and short-term demand changes.
In September 2018, Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation inked a similar agreement to offer broadband inflight connectivity (IFC) paired with high-value services to customers in the commercial aviation industry across the globe. The collaboration enables airlines, aircraft manufacturers and passengers to benefit from the combined expertise of two companies.
ITC Global is a subsidiary of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, delivering high-speed, high-capacity communications services to customers across the oil and gas, mining, merchant maritime and passenger vessel markets.
Eric Griffin, Inmarsat Maritime, VP Offshore and High End Fishing, said the company is pleased to secure the support of a key partner in ITC Global, which reflects their own commitment to providing the offshore and wider maritime community with uniquely global, reliable and flexible broadband connectivity anywhere in the world to meet their rapidly growing digitalization needs.
Ian Dawkins, CEO at ITC Global, added that using the firm's combined expertise of Ku-, L- and Ka-bands, the company will be well-positioned to meet the individual demands of maritime and offshore customers. The agreement will enable ITC Global to extract further value from the synergies between the organizations and leverage the companies' mutual technology and product innovations to fully support the operational requirements of customers.
