Built with support from the European Space Agency and the U.K. Technology Strategy Board, the voice distress service aims to ensure that all non-priority telephone calls underway on a vessel’s FleetBroadband are interrupted during an emergency while connecting the distress caller directly to a Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC).

   The service also sends an immediate email to the MRCC and network controllers to alert them to a call, providing additional data such as vessel name, identification and position. Inmarsat said that manufacturer Thrane & Thrane would support the service with its Sailor 3771 alarm panel, with other terminal manufacturers expected to follow soon.

   “This is a first for FleetBroadband, and demonstrates our on-going commitment to providing essential safety and distress services for seafarers,” Inmarsat Head of Maritime Safety Peter Blackhurst said in a statement.