[SatNews] GE Satcom, a provider of satellite communications services throughout EMEA, has unveiled the commercial launch of a satellite-based communications service for merchant vessel operators based on iDirect’s Intelligent Platform.

Following a successful six-month pilot testing, the service has been scheduled for an initial roll out to 14 commercial ships. To support the new service, GE Satcom will upgrade its current satellite infrastructure to iDirect’s Evolution product line. GE Satcom’s maritime broadband solution will deliver a triple-play service bundle with prepay access to Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone, Internet ,and TV news and sports highlights that can be multiplexed into any cabin, technical, or recreation room. The service offers a scalable platform for integrating critical fleet-management applications such as location tracking, eco-routing and performance monitoring to reduce operational costs for existing ships and new builds. The cost-effective, flat-rate service will cover major shipping lanes across Asia and Europe using Ku-band as the primary link, with the ability to automatically switch to L-band as a back-up solution. As demand grows, GE Satcom will also have the ability to extend coverage across the Atlantic and Pacific.

By upgrading to Evolution, GE Satcom gains a cost-effective IP broadband communications platform that can support its new service with the reliability of always-on connectivity. Evolution offers a suite of integrated tools that are tailored for maritime customers to make deploying mobile networks simpler and more efficient. GE Satcom can segment bandwidth across multiple ships — even fleets — and prioritize allocation according to each vessel’s dynamic requirements using iDirect’s Group Quality of Service (GQoS) technology. Further, GE Satcom plans to use iDirect’s Automatic Beam Switching (ABS) feature to ensure that customers maintain seamless connectivity as their vessels cross multiple satellite footprints, without needing an onboard technician to manually handle transitions between Ku-band beams.