Thuraya collaborated with its service partner Devor Technologies to help a leading maritime operator in South East Asia address a critical need for offshore communications.
Operating more than 100 offshore marine vessels, the maritime operator needed a quick and reliable alternative to its existing Ku-band VSAT networks in order to continue providing high-speed internet connection for one of its anchor handling tug supply vessels.
Kenny Koh, Business Development Manager for Devor Technologies, explained: “We were told that the operator needed a reliable internet connection, as the VSAT onboard was affected by unpredictable weather in the Gulf of Thailand. The operator was obligated by their charter to provide high-speed internet connection and even though the speed was acceptable, the connection was not stable enough to connect to the shore.”
Devor Technologies suggested Thuraya Maritime Broadband (MBB), comprising the Thuraya IP terminal and Spacecom antenna, as the solution. On top of its compact and robust features, Thuraya IP is easy to install and enabled the customer to quickly establish a reliable, high-speed internet connection.
Providing standard IP throughput at speeds of up to 444 kbps, the proven track record of the Thuraya IP broadband terminal and Spacecom antenna helped to convince the operator that Thuraya would be able to deliver the speed and performance required. Thuraya IP also provides the hardware that can be relied upon to perform in harsh maritime environments.
Devor Technologies arranged for priority shipping to the customer, and the MBB equipment managed to reach the vessel within a day, with Devor working with the Thuraya team to provide immediate installation of the terminal. This was especially critical because the replacement VSAT system would take at least two weeks to be delivered.
According to the customer, the performance of the Thuraya MBB solution has been very stable — having achieved 85-95 percent signal strength — and the vessel has yet to encounter a single instance of service disruption. The crew reported great satisfaction with the uplink and downlink speeds as well, while the ease of installation and prompt customer support were other key advantages highlighted for the Thuraya IP terminal.
A senior representative from the maritime operator said: “We were also impressed by the low hardware cost, and Devor gave us the chance to test the system onboard our vessel before making the outright purchase. That clearly showed the confidence Devor has in the product's performance and within a few days of usage, we were convinced that the Thuraya solution could deliver.”
As a result of the successful implementation, the customer has placed an order for a second terminal to support its business operations. Koh said that other potential clients in the offshore maritime sector have also expressed interest in the Thuraya MBB solution.
Koh added: “There was once a perception that Thuraya products were not designed for the maritime sector but solutions such as Thuraya MBB have proven to be suitable for a variety of other vessel types. What owners want is a product that is easy to install and configure, while giving them reliable throughput speeds. The Thuraya IP terminal is truly plug-and-play and the Thuraya’s congestion-free network ensures that we can always be confident that our clients will receive what they have invested in.”
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