KOTUG chooses Fleet Xpress for WA seaborne satcoms
Global tug operator KOTUG International has chosen Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress high-speed broadband satellite communications solution for its operations in this part of the Asia Pacific.
Trials aboard the 100-ton bollard pull tug Roebuck Bay demonstrated that the Fleet Xpress combination of Ka-band, continuously backed up by FleetBroadband, enhanced both the stability of communications and available uptime.
KOTUG will phase in Fleet Xpress connectivity for its towage services supporting Shell’s Prelude floating LNG platform via a flexible agreement that includes ‘Confirmed and Maximum Information Rates’ for data transfer and crew connectivity. The package also incorporates an entertainment package for staff.
KOTUG’s Corporate IT Manager, Hans Boele, said the company’s long-term commitment to Western Australia requires a connectivity solution that is “futureproof and scalable”.
“It’s our mission to provide sustainable towage services that exceed clients’ expectations and people are our greatest strength when it comes to achieving that. Equipping our vessels with well-functioning broadband supports our crew because it enables them to keep in contact with their relatives and our HQ and it provides uninterrupted access to the onboard entertainment system,” he said.
“We also needed terms that took account of flexibility on usage, because the demands placed on the service can vary as towage assistance, personnel transfer and standby duty needs change. In addition, KOTUG’s vessels provide medical support and facilities.”
Boele said the Fleet Xpress connectivity will also lead to the deployment of vessel management efficiencies that will tap into the group’s wider ICT strategy.
“KOTUG already deploys Fleet Xpress off West Africa, and this new commitment confirms that vessels anywhere in the world and of all sizes can secure the operating efficiency and crew welfare gains available from Fleet Xpress with our global, reliable coverage,” added Gert-Jan Panken, VP of Merchant, Inmarsat Maritime.
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