Vizada Improves Operations for fishing companies with Inmarsat FleetBroadband

Madagascan fishing company maximizes time at sea with broadband data service. Vizada, the leading independent satellite communications provider, is supplying the Inmarsat FleetBroadband* service to a fishing company in Madagascar to help improve operations on board. Vizada, with key service provider Satellite Air Time and Inmarsat, has equipped a vessel with an Inmarsat FleetBroadband 150 terminal (FB150), and provided communications airtime, installation, maintenance, 24-hour customer care, technical support and a number of Vizada SolutionsTM. The fishing vessel, based out of the Malagasy fishing port of Mahajanga, is the first in the fleet to upgrade to FB150, and the broadband data connection enables personnel to improve operations in several ways. Reports on fish quality and tonnage can now be emailed back to sales teams on shore to help manage orders, confirm export quotas and provide delivery dates for shipments, reducing the time that fish wait to be processed. The crew also use a number of Vizada Solutions to optimise the FB150’s high-speed data connection. - The SkyFile Weather software enables them to request customized meteorological information such as sea level pressure, wind speed & direction and swell, and adjust their route accordingly. - SkyFile Mail compresses data sent over the FB150 by up to 90% to significantly reduce data transmission costs. - Vizada’s Satellite Direct service enables staff at HQ to call crew on the FB150 terminal with a specific “fixed line to satellite” number and benefit from reduced rates. With operations in Madagascar, the service provider Satellite Air Time provides local expertise and support to the fishing vessel when required. Crew has benefited from Vizada and Satellite Air Time’s training program for a better understanding of solutions like SkyFile Mail and SkyFile Weather when installing, maintaining and troubleshooting. “Fishing companies are increasingly realising the benefits of high-speed data communications for their business, with services like Inmarsat FleetBroadband enabling them to significantly improve operations on board and make their time at sea as lucrative as possible,” said Erik Ceuppens, CEO, Vizada EMEA & Asia. Inmarsat FleetBroadband is a mobile satellite communications service which comes in a range of 3 terminals, offering broadband data rates of up to 432 kbps and a handset for simultaneous voice calls. Coverage provided by the Inmarsat I-4 satellite constellation covers all seas and oceans except the poles. Satellite Air Time Satellite Air Time, based in Mauritius and in Madagascar, is an Inmarsat Service Provider (ISP 8268), a Point of Service Activation (PSA 3109), an Accounting Authority (FR02) and a Thrane & Thrane certified distributor. The company provides customers with all satellite services: supply of satellite terminal equipment, terminals activation, communications billing, technical support and on-line assistance. Satellite Air Time’s worldwide customer list ranges from fishing, offshore oil & gas marine services companies, NGOs, private partners, etc. It is strongly positioned in the Indian Ocean, and for years has supported ship owners and governments in setting up VMS (vessel management system) projects and consultancy. Vizada Vizada is an independent provider of global satellite communications services. The company, which was formed by the merger of Telenor Satellite Services and France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications, offers mobile and fixed connectivity services from multiple satellite network operators through 400 service provider partners. These services are packaged with tailored Vizada SolutionsTM and delivered through Vizada’s global teleport network – five state-of-the-art satellite facilities strategically positioned around the world – to add business value to basic connectivity services. Vizada works with the broadest range of network providers in the industry, including: Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya, Eutelsat, Intelsat, Loral, New Skies, and SES Americom. Vizada’s 200,000 end users benefit from access to satellite communications services. Vizada’s customers operate in a range of industries, including: merchant shipping, emergency response organizations, government & military units, global media companies, telecoms & internet service providers, and business, military & civil aviation. www.vizada.com