As classification societies release their latest guidelines and IMO regulations evolve, let’s look closer at what actually matters for your seafarers today…connectivity! We've sorted through the noise to discuss if Starlink is worth the investment, along with the maritime technology updates this week that are worth your time. Let's dive in…

This week, I spoke with Torbjorn Dimblad, Chief Information Officer at Anglo Eastern, one of the world's largest ship management companies. The company has overseen one of the biggest deployments of low-earth orbit satellite technology in maritime, across an impressive 450 vessels. 

Anglo Eastern is positioned as one of the maritime industry's most significant adopters of next-generation connectivity. Torbjorn’s insights offer a compelling glimpse into how LEO satellite solutions are reshaping vessel operations, crew welfare and the digital transformation of commercial shipping.

When we talk about Starlink, we typically jump straight to the technological advantages – the seamless Teams video calls connecting multiple vessels for critical safety briefings, remote technical support through augmented reality tools, faster document sharing, and improved IT support capabilities. 

But we all know about these business efficiencies by now. What's perhaps less discussed, yet equally significant, is how this connectivity is reshaping maritime careers.

Let's talk about that spreadsheet sitting on your desktop - the one with all your IT costs that's supposed to make perfect sense but somehow never does. How do you know if those numbers are competitive? More importantly, how do you justify them to the board?

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Remember when seafarers had to ration their WhatsApp messages like precious cargo? Those days are vanishing faster than you can say "bandwidth."

Aboard Anglo Eastern’s Starlink vessels, bandwidth rationing has become a thing of the past. "We allocate one gigabyte of data per day to every crew member - about 20-25 gigabytes daily just for crew use... To put this in perspective, our crews previously received four gigabytes per month on traditional plans."

This isn't merely incremental improvement—it's a revolutionary leap that's genuinely touching lives. "The impact has been profound. We have videos of the 'Starlink Neptune God' arriving and turning on the service. We receive letters from grateful crew members."

When was the last time your IT department received thank-you letters?

Beyond Netflix access, this connectivity creates entirely new possibilities for career advancement. "Crew members are now completing certifications that they previously could only do ashore."

Remember the ‘old days’ of ship connectivity, "With traditional systems, physical limitations cause issues - if a ship is sailing at certain angles relative to a satellite, you risk blackout zones. Captains would sometimes temporarily turn the ship just to download email, then revert to course."

Just contemplate that—vessels literally changing course to download emails. With Starlink's dense satellite network, these detours have become a distant memory.

Despite its obvious advantages, Starlink isn't a universal solution for everyone. "Starlink does have geographical restrictions. It's geofenced in China, India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and a few other countries."

This necessitates layered connectivity: "This is why you need backup systems - typically 4G/LTE cellular service as a second option and traditional satellite communications as a third."

Improved connectivity brings new vulnerabilities. "Ships were previously somewhat protected from cyber attacks by their slow connections - Now with good connectivity, you must be much more vigilant."

The human element remains critical: "Seafarers tend to be more consumer-oriented in their mindset and less cyber-aware. We plan to implement phishing tests for crews this year."

Let's be honest - the current market for low-earth orbit maritime connectivity is incredibly small, with Starlink leading the industry, with only one or two other vendors in operation. The dominant provider has a near-unchallenged control over how the market develops.

Alternative suppliers (such as OneWeb) do exist, but they haven't yet achieved the market presence to provide genuine competitive pressure. 

This lack of choice presents obvious challenges. What happens if prices suddenly increase? Or if the political landscape changes? Smart maritime technology leaders are already hedging their bets by maintaining legacy systems alongside newer solutions, ensuring they're not left high and dry should the dominant provider decide to alter course on pricing or service delivery.

After all, in shipping, we know better than most that putting all your cargo in one hold is rarely the wisest strategy.

Torbjorn then went on to discuss how he believes the LEO market will evolve, "In five years, I expect most software will be cloud-based, with occasional delays only when in coverage blackout zones."

As connectivity transforms from luxury to necessity, the winners won't simply be those who implement LEO solutions first, but those who most effectively leverage this connectivity to transform operations, crew experience, and customer service.

The question isn't whether to embrace high-bandwidth maritime connectivity, but how quickly you can turn it into your strategic advantage.

And that's your essential maritime tech update sorted for the week. Look out for next Thursday's newsletter, where I'll bring you another round of industry developments that actually matter. Until then, keep innovating! All the best, Ailsa