RT Kuri Bay, certainly one of three KOTUG vessels serving the Shell Prelude facility
Trials of Inmarsat Fleet Xpress off Western Australia have persuaded world tug operator KOTUG International to pick out the high-speed broadband resolution for this space of the Asia Pacific area.
Following Inmarsat Fleet Xpress trials on board the 100-ton bollard pull tug Roebuck Bay, towage service specialist KOTUG Internation discovered that the distinctive Fleet Xpress mixture of Ka-band, repeatedly backed up by FleetBroadband, had considerably enhanced each the soundness of communications and accessible uptime.
KOTUG will now section in Fleet Xpress connectivity to cowl towage companies supporting Shell’s Prelude floating LNG platform by way of a versatile plan settlement that features “Confirmed and Maximum Information Rates” for information switch and crew connectivity. The package deal additionally incorporates a complete onboard film/sports activities/information content material leisure package deal.
KOTUG Corporate IT Manager Hans Boele examined necessities and assessed suggestions on the trials over a six-month interval. He says that the long-term firm dedication to Western Australia calls for an enduring connectivity resolution that’s “future proof 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,” says Boele. “Equipping our vessels with well-functioning broadband helps our crew as a result of it allows them to maintain in touch with their relations and our HQ and it gives uninterrupted entry to the onboard leisure system.
“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.” Fleet Xpress connectivity will even pave the way in which to deploy vessel administration efficiencies that faucet into the group’s wider technique for ICT, says Mr Boele.
“We are delighted to build on our relationship with KOTUG International as an Inmarsat client of many years standing,” says Gert-Jan Panken, VP of Merchant, Inmarsat Maritime. “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.”
KOTUG makes use of its personal antennas and good packing containers on board, whereas its business-critical selections are supported by IT instruments that handle the enterprise from its headquarters within the Netherlands. Inmarsat’s Mr Panken says that one other compelling driver for transition to Fleet Xpress has been that it’s achievable inside its current vessel administration structure.
