China LNG vessels to fit SpeedCast broadband services

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Hong Kong: The fleet of five LNG vessels managed by CLSICO - owned by China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Ltd (CLNG) - and BP  Shipping are to be fitted with a maritime VSAT service supplied by SpeedCast. Two of these, Dapeng Sun and the Dapeng Moon, are already running direct routes between  Dapeng Bay (China) and Withnell Bay (Australia), each carrying out approximately 22 voyages per year of 15 days each journey.
The Speedcast service, called Seacast,  offers crew unlimited broadband Internet access with no limitations  or restrictions on the amount of data transmitted or the time spent online, all for a fixed  monthly fee. Such a service enhances seafarer welfare, allowing for example regular communication with families, and therefore retention. Monthly fixed-fee services aid company budgeting, and Speedcast adds that the costs savings attained with Ku-band VSAT compared to Lband are significantly higher. "All data exchanges and communications can now be done in  real time, with total control over the budget," it says. "The vessels can be integrated with the same  applications that are running in their land offices thanks to SpeedCast’s maritime VSAT  service. This innovative broadband service is now quickly becoming the new de facto way  of efficient and cost-effective communications at sea."    
CLNG, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, is 50/50  jointly invested by China Merchants Group and COSCO Group. SpeedCast, founded in 1999, is a leading satellite communications service  provider in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.  [01/04/09]