Elon Musk's satellite service attracts major maritime concerns

BOTH Columbia Ship Management (CSM) and Costamare declared that they are joining the group of companies testing the service offered by a network of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites managed by SpaceX, reports UK's Seatrade Maritime News.

With the use of Starlink, these LEO satellites are capable of delivering broadband connections that offer higher bandwidth and lower latency compared to traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites.

Moreover, installing the shipboard antenna for the Starlink service is compact and straightforward.

"Starlink has the potential to revolutionise the maritime industry by providing reliable and affordable internet connectivity to ships, even in the most remote parts of the world," said Columbia Group CEO Mark O'Neil.

"This can help improve crew welfare, reduce costs, and enhance safety and security, making it a game-changer for the industry."

Said Costamare IT chief Themis Sardis: "With its very high speeds and low latency, it could enable completely new ways of working in terms of the technological tools we can implement across our fleet - to benefit our business operations, our crews' welfare, as well as the compliance needs of our fleet."