[Satellite Today 10-09-09]  Inmarsat and Satlink won a contract in Ireland to migrate fishing vessels from a paper logbook system to electronic recording and reporting in Europe, Inmarsat said Oct. 7.

            Mandatory European Union legislation requires all masters of fishing vessels more than 15 meters in length to migrate their logbook operation from manual to an electronic recording and reporting system by July 2011. The first phase of legislation, applying to vessels more than 24 meters in length, takes effect Jan. 1. 

            Ireland is the first member of the European Union, through its Cork-based Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), to have tendered and awarded an electronic recording and reporting contract. The contract, for a out 100 fishing vessels more than 24 meters in length, has been awarded to a solution based on FleetBroadband 250 from a team consisting of Satlink, Inmarsat, Stratos and Sirius IT.

            “The SFPA has stepped into the IP connected future. FleetBroadband is now the benchmark for broadband Internet and standard IP applications at sea. Our heritage is proven, our financial future is secure and our next-generation satellite network has a lifespan into the 2020s — an irresistible combination for the SFPA and all bodies charged with the long-term future of electronic recording,” Piers Cunningham, director of maritime business at Inmarsat, said in a statement.

World-Link Launches ShipSat Hybrid Broadband Service   Satellite Today   October 2, 2009
[Satellite TODAY 10-02-09] World-Link Communications has launched ShipSat, a broadband IP service that integrates Ku-band VSAT and L-band services for the maritime market, World-Link announced Oct. 1. ShipSat aims to deliver global IP access…

Inmarsat Launches 24-hour Low-Cost FleetBroadband Calling Service   Satellite Today   September 15, 2009
[Satellite TODAY 09-15-09] Inmarsat is set to launch its Enhanced Super Quiet Time (ESQT) calling service for its FleetBroadband maritime users, the MSS operator announced Sept. 14. Starting Oct. 1, seafarers onboard vessels that are using…

Commercial Fishing Company Deploys Stratos Global Broadband Solution   Satellite Today   March 26, 2009
[Satellite Today 03-26-09] Albacora Group, a commercial fishing company based in Spain, has retained an Inmarsat FleetBroadband system from Stratos Global Corp., which Albacora will use to manage the daily operations of a tuna fishing vessel…