Global Maritime Satellite Communication Market

Description

Broadband satellite communications are required by commercial, cruise as well as naval vessels to ensure 24*7 ship-to-shore connectivity.Reliable connection is needed in commercial vessels to stay connected to the main offices and support the crew welfare activities. Basic uses are corporate networking, internet connectivity, real-time video, and voice and fax services.
In the maritime community, links to the ship at sea requires higher bandwidth to support critical applications like real-time operations, intelligence gathering, remote equipment monitoring, and live surveillance. VSAT (very-small-aperture terminal) solutions are essential to connectivity to geosynchronous satellites- that help link the ship at sea to land at the respective nation’s telecommunications system.
Maritime communications support the naval forces in various countries. Rising threats and the need for efficient communication system makes maritime satellite communication industry all the more important in naval forces, coastal security, merchant navy, etc.

End-user/Technology

The antenna part of a maritime VSAT is required to be kept stable since the ship continuously moves in all directions- not just one. This is done with the help of motors and sensors. This equipment allows communication to be done, while keeping losses and interference at the minimum. Earlier, maritime used a single channel per carrier technology suitable for large-volume users. This saw a “sea change” when the IP-based time-division multiple access (TDMA) was launched. TDMA dynamically allocates bandwidth to the ships, minimizing costs. The future will see more advanced technology- with inclusion of a flat panel that steers the antenna electronically.

Market Dynamics
Maritime communications is expected to undergo major changes in the following twenty years. E-Navigation, as mentioned earlier, will ease the data exchange- that will lead to its evolution and increasing demand. New connectivity solutions will also increase the bandwidth requirements.
Satellite manufacturing costs have been eased because of brilliant opportunities due to the growing demand in all the segments of maritime transportation and services. Moreover, improving technologies provide better communication reliability- making their demand increase. On the other hand, market growth is being hampered in some regions due to the slow adoption of technology and dependence on expensive satellite equipment, especially as an initial investment.

Market Segmentation

The global maritime satellite communication market can be segmented based on the following:

• Type
o MSS: Mobile Satellite Services
o VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal

• Service
o Data
o Video
o Voice
o Tracking and Monitoring

• End-User
o Fishing
o Leisure vessels
o Merchant shipping
o Offshore
o Passenger ships

Regional/Geographic Analysis

The maritime satellite communication market is relatively untapped in South Asia, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. This can be attributed to the lack of technical awareness related to various communication systems. But this also provides room for opportunity. North America and Europe account for the largest market share in the industry owing to rapid technological adoption, and deployment of low-cost cloud solutions. Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region.

Key Players

• Hughes Network System
• Inmarsat Communications
• Iridium Communications
• Thuraya Telecommunications Company
• VT iDirect