SeaCast™

Get connected and entertained anywhere at sea!

SeaCast™ Primarily designed for the Maritime industry; SeaCast ensure real-time, broadband, always-on, flat-fee connectivity at sea with worldwide coverage. With a high level of interest being shown by the commercial shipping fleets, SeaCast is also designed for the energy industries engaging in or working with offshore drilling and production platforms, drill ships, exploration, survey and service support vessels.

Very Importantly, SeaCast is charged as a monthly fixed fee service with unlimited usage. Stabilizes tracking antennas are required to maintain communications to our satellite fleet. SeaCast not only provides the most extensive and flexible coverage across Asian waters but also offers global coverage to the Middle East and Africa.

SeaCast™ It is a turnkey solution with the flexibility of choice in customized system design, installation, commissioning, satellite bandwidth on demand, remote monitoring, maintenance services and network integration.

SeaCast provides the maritime industry with a one-stop solution, whose cost is fixed, while giving access to communications speeds and entertainment features unseen on ships so far.

SeaCast is, at heart, a two-way satellite service that is capable of delivering any or all of the following services:

Broadband Internet: Up to 2Mbps download, email, browsing, Wi-Fi
Analogue or digital voice: Enables crew calling and dramatically reduces call charges. Supports fax as well as standard telephone.
Television: Television channels to keep crew entertained and up to date with global and regional news
Video on Demand (VOD): Enables crew to select preloaded movies, educational and entertainment contents.
GSM support: Most common on cruise liners and oil platforms to enable passengers & staff to roam onto a maritime GSM network.
Secure corporate network access: Private circuits or IPVPN, most often to support the Headquarter’s enterprise applications such as tech readouts, maintenance schedules, crew appraisals, inspection reports, key performance indicators and ERP systems)
Video transmission, surveillance: Receive and transmit content, surveillance
Remote sensing: Makes it possible to collect data at dangerous or inaccessible areas to forecast weather and ocean conditions.

SeaCast™ Network Architecture

In recent times, with the rapid growth in the offshore energy industry and commercial shipping, HR strategy is a primary driving force behind the need for faster, cheaper communications! Indeed, the welfare of the crew is #1 priority as many fleet managers struggle with the retention of experience officers and crew in this economically buoyant time. As such, the research reveals most ship managers have already implemented crew calling and are now looking to add TV entertainment and GSM-on-board. Should crew welfare continue to be the priority, we may see further requirements for telemedicine / virtual medical officers and distance learning.

However, crew welfare is not the only business need as vessels migrate to resemble floating IT networks with all major control equipment having network interfaces. Higher information rates and ship-to-shore communications will also be the key in serving the need for continuous improvement and competitive advantage for the maritime industry in the areas of:

Navigation: Safety and vessel traceability; Harbour operations & port clearance; Precision navigation to avoid hazards; Observation of tides and currents; Weather forecasting
Emergency procedures: Global real-time data transmission to assist in carrying out search, rescue and response activities
Administration: Notices to Mariners; Online procurement; Spares management; Equipment and fuel management

SeaCast Broadband VSAT	Narrowband Satellite Terminals
Simultaneous service (voice/data) at any one time	Only One service at a time due to system design limitation
Provides an always-on service at a fixed monthly charge. This eliminates the need for shipping companies to restrict communication usage based on the often high rates associated with metered services and enables them to budget predictable monthly costs	Time and content based charges– high cost to operate even for emails with large attachments and for data intensive applications, with exception of MPDS
Broadband data rate 64kbps to 2Mbps fast transmission throughput giving true broadband throughputs of up to 2Mbps just as on land based networks	Narrowband limitations from 64Kbps and 128Kbps, are the true throughputs obtained
True broadband real-time connectivity allows remote vessels to become part of the overall IPVPN network fully integrated with land based sites, allowing crew on-board the same two-way communications and entertainment services as their colleagues on shore	Multi systems maintenance-higher cost with narrowband traditional communications, companies and its crew will be disadvantaged compared to their competitors with broadband connectivity at sea
Uses true IP protocol – Can implement QoS, TCP Accelerator, Compression technologies - Better efficiency	IP over HSD /MPDS / GAN - less efficient when using IP applications