A special report Connectivity With Inmarsat
‘The opportunity to transform is fantastic’
Splash sits down with Ben Palmer, the president of Inmarsat Maritime, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for change in shipping over the coming decade
Shipping is entering an exciting, potentially transformative era over the coming decade, reckons Ben Palmer, the president of Inmarsat Maritime. The question he has though is whether the industry will be able to grab all the opportunities out there, or will its conservative, fragmented nature hold it back?
“The fundamental shipping business model has not changed since the 18th century,” Palmer tells Splash. “Over the last 50 years, ships have got fatter, faster and longer but they still look pretty much like they did after World War II.”
With connectivity growing exponentially, ships and their operations are set for change, Palmer says. This started with crew welfare, and is now moving towards “office-like” connectedness.
“There’s a huge amount of tech innovation going on, too. The opportunity to transform is fantastic,” Palmer says touching on decarbonisation, the cloud, artificial intelligence, and big data.
“Ships can be less manpower intensive
The absence of really muscular standardisation and regulation will be a brake on progress
with more monitoring and all kinds of applications,” he says, while cautioning: “I do have a concern. There is clearly a huge opportunity, lots of drivers to do this, but will shipping have the gumption, the ambition to do this? Shipping has historically not been the earliest adopter, so I would say the jury is still out.”
Palmer insists today’s more forward thinking players are seeing the business case for tech-enabled ships, others in this fragmented business less so.
“I see a lot more doing, but there’s still a lot of talking,” Palmer says.
Palmer became president of Inmarsat Maritime in late 2021, moving across from defence contractor Northrop Grumman. Maritime featured in his career earlier on with BAE Systems, which was his first posting in the private sector having started his career with the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
Palmer sees shipping’s appetite for
innovation as weakened by fragmentation - whether by geography, scale, or flagas well as its relatively under regulated nature.
“The absence of really muscular standardisation and regulation will be a brake on progress,” he says.
The other issue that needs addressing if shipping is to make genuine tech strides in the coming decade surrounds recruitment.
“The industry has an interesting challenge - attracting people to it, young people, tech savvy people at sea and on shore,” Palmer says.
Different skillsets will be required by shipping’s next generation. The next generation want to believe in what they are doing, to work for a sustainable business and to use tech, Palmer says.
“Shipping has to get better at telling its story. The fierce war for talent is visceral,” Palmer concludes.
Free for all?
The so-called office onboard will be achieved by full broadband internet free for all for how much of the fleet by 2035?
Connected ships are all the rage these days, discussed at length at myriad shipping conferences and at boardrooms across the world. Improved bandwidth is changing the business of shipping and how vessels and crews operate far out at sea, all happening at astonishing speed and yet Splash readers do not believe this advance will spread across all ships in the years ahead. Just 10% of readers in our survey (see results on page 48) believe so-called office onboard will be achieved for 100% of the global merchant fleet by full free broadband internet by 2035.
It’s unlikely that full internet broadband will be free for all onboard by 2035 or later, says Tore Morten Olsen, president of maritime at Marlink, a digital solutions provider.
“As we have seen in other areas of life and business, users pay one way or the other and remote communication at sea requires more than the average deployment of hardware and software,” Olsen explains, predicting greater competition as new low Earth orbit (LEO) providers offer services and a tiered market in terms of solutions provided at multiple price points.
It’s unlikely to be free for all anytime soon, concurs Andrew Airey, who heads up Thai shipmanager Highland Maritime,
By
2035, full broadband will be a baseline expectation
thanks to the sheer growth in data collection, analysis, action, and CCTV monitoring and interaction requirements outstripping capacity growth.
More optimistic is Stamatis Tsantanis, chairman and CEO of Greek owner Seanergy Maritime.
“Thanks to falling satellite costs and rising demand for crew welfare and operational connectivity, a large portion - say 75% - of the fleet will likely have free, full broadband access—though full coverage across all vessels may take longer,” Tsantanis tells Splash.
Peter Schellenberger, founder of Novomaxis, a shipping consultancy, sees a minimum of 95% having free full broadband in 10 years time, citing the 2027 launch of Amazon’s Kuiper service as a “game changer”.
“By 2035, full broadband will be a baseline expectation, especially for vessels over 20,000 dwt,” argues Manish Singh, the head of Aboutships, a maritime advisory.
The bigger shift for Singh will be how this connectivity enables truly integrated fleet operations — where ship and shore are in constant sync, making decisions together in real time.
“The cost/benefit of equipping ships with terrestrial levels of connectivity is so attractive that laggards will find it difficult to compete with connected fleets,” Singh maintains.
Turning to the office onboard part of the question posed to readers, Ajay Chaudhry, CEO of shipmanagement at Synergy Marine Group, says this will mean cultural and working practice shifts as it will involve more digital workflow, cross-functional meetings, and real-time owner access.
“Connectivity must be paired with capability—the ability to conduct critical operations, access documents, and interact with experts without bandwidth barriers,” says Chaudhry, adding: “By 2035, this will be a standard expectation, rather than an innovation.”
Pradeep Chawla, the founder of MarinePALS, a training specialist, concludes by telling Splash how he is very much against the whole office onboard thinking.
“Seafarers have reached their limits with the number of tasks that they have to do. Yes, we need to give broadband onboard, but not for pushing more tasks to the ship’s staff,” Chawla says.
Prolonging a career at sea
Can improved connectivity onboard lead to more seafarers extending their time onboard before pursuing a career ashore?
Shipping faces a shortage of qualified staff at sea, a problem that risks becoming more acute over the next 10 years.
One way to help fix the problem is to ensure people stay longer in their jobs at sea with many experts saying for this to happen connectivity must improve. The availability of internet access is now a critical factor in seafarers' career decisions, something that will only become more important in the years ahead.
“Improved connectivity is an essential expectation for people coming out to sea,” says Pradeep Chawla, the CEO of training specialist MarinePALS. “You cannot explain to an 18-year-old who is used to connectivity of one gbps to accept a VSAT connection of two or four mbps.”
“New entrants may not even join the industry if the comms plans are not conducive,” warns Peter Schellenberger,
Improved connectivity is an essential expectation for people coming out to sea
who runs Novamaxis, a consultancy.
By 2028, Schellenberger predicts that 90% of quality vessels will have a LEO type comms plan.
“By staying connected with family and accessing digital resources, seafarers can enjoy a better quality of life, which can positively impact their wellbeing and job satisfaction. This, in turn, may lead to longer tenures at sea,” says Stamatis Tsantanis, chairman and CEO of Greek owner Seanergy Maritime.
Improved internet access can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation amongst seafarers. The ability to stay connected with family and friends via video calls, messaging, and social media can help seafarers remain a part of family milestones and important life events in
real-time, and maintain a connection with the outside world, which can reduce the emotional distance between shore and sea, alleviate feelings of being alone during long ocean voyages, boost morale, and create a more positive and motivated work environment.
By enhancing work efficiency and providing access to a wealth of online options in their free time, a more rewarding work-life balance can be achieved. From communicating with family and friends, managing personal matters, and following the latest news to watching sports, movies, and listening to music, a reliable internet connection opens up a world of opportunities to seafarers, allowing them to relax and enjoy their free time as they wish, which is essential for their overall wellbeing.
We have to stop waving connectivity as a magic wand
“The work-life balance can make a career at sea more sustainable,” says Niraj Nanda, chief commercial officer of shipmanagement giant Anglo-Eastern.
“Connectivity helps facilitate meaningful social interaction with friends and family ashore and supports recreational engagement like browsing and streaming—both of which ease the psychological burden of long voyages,” says Ajay Chaudhry, CEO of shipmanagement at Synergy Marine Group.
“By prioritising safety, improved connectivity onboard can positively impact seafarers to extend their careers at sea,” Nanda says. “Better connectivity can help improve operational efficiency and the well-being of seafarers onboard, thereby contributing to a more fulfilling and secure work environment,” he says.
“Improved connectivity allows seafarers to access news, digital banking and services, entertainment, and
educational resources. Staying informed and entertained can make their time onboard more fulfilling,” says Shah Irani, chief technology officer at Fleet Management.
Moreover, as Nanda points out access to online medical and mental healthcare services, therapy, and video consultations by trained professionals can help reduce the distance between specialists and the seafarers who may require their services. This can positively impact the physical and psychological wellbeing of seafarers by improving medical care onboard, thus reducing the need for port visits, medical sign-offs and diversions, and the relevant costs.
With access to online courses and studies, seafarers can further their knowledge, training, and qualifications during their free time onboard. This enables seafarers to enhance their skills and advance in their careers in
the industry, which can be a strong motivator for extending their time at sea.
Manish Singh, a former seafarer and shipmanager who now runs advisory Aboutships, cautions readers that connectivity by itself is not a panacea to the seafarer shortage issue.
“We have to stop waving connectivity as a magic wand,” he says, predicting that even “laggard” fleets will have fast, reliable and cheap internet soon.
“Longer term crew retention has more to do with a sense of inclusion, purpose and through-career visibility,” Singh argues.
Better connectivity helps with wellbeing and continuity, he concedes, but retention also needs recognition, upskilling, and agency for colleagues onboard.
“I envisage seafarers will feel more connected into the overall workflow as we embrace a connected and data-driven ecosystem,” Singh concludes.
Bandwidth bonus
Will improved connectivity onboard improve competence in shipping?
Improved onboard connectivity significantly enhances competence in shipping, according to many people surveyed for this magazine.
Enhanced connectivity facilitates real-time communication between onboard crews and shore-based teams. Through video conferencing and collaborative platforms, seafarers can receive immediate guidance, partake in virtual training sessions, and engage in knowledge sharing, thereby improving operational efficiency and decisionmaking.
Andrew Airey, who heads up Thai shipmanager Highland Maritime, argues that if connectivity brings true assistance to shipboard personnel in more efficiently handling their duties and reducing their workload and stress levels then it can clearly improve the industry.
“Enhanced bandwidth enables realtime training, remote mentoring, and
We’ve seen best results when connectivity enables, not replaces, professional development
smoother digital operations. Competence increases as crews can access updated safety protocols, predictive maintenance alerts, and decision support tools,” says Shah Irani, chief technology officer of Fleet Management.
Tore Morten Olsen, president of maritime at Marlink, questions whether accessing training remotely between work and sleep is the right environment.
“Training that builds competence - whether in person, remote or virtual - needs to be delivered in the right environment to encourage learning and teamwork,” Olsen says.
Pradeep Chawla, the founder of MarinePALS, a training specialist, has statistics that back up how online training directly leads to better safety and
better performance in vetting and port state control inspections.
Ajay Chaudhry, the CEO of shipmanagement at Synergy Marine Group, maintains that real-time access to simulators, troubleshooting support and feedback on performance all transform learning into what he describes as a “continuous loop”. However, the tech must be complemented by human systems, Chaudhry argues.
“Leadership, feedback culture, and accountability. We’ve seen best results when connectivity enables, not replaces, professional development,” Chaudhry says. “With the right infrastructure, even vessels that are far out to sea become floating learning environments that empower crew to solve problems in real
Real-time performance feedback, shore-based support, and system diagnostics become possible with connected ships
time.”
Connectivity is only the toolbox or enabler, argues Peter Schellenberger, the head of Novomaxis, a consultancy.
“It is now up to the industry to find correct use cases and applications to maximise efficiency,” he says, stressing the importance of training for both shore and seagoing staff. "Applications are live faster than regulations so it is up to the companies to work with their learning providers to cover the ground,” Schellenberger says.
Quite so, agrees Nicholas Goubert, co-CEO of online learning giant Ocean Technologies Group.
Improved connectivity onboard promises massive gains in the speed of deployment whereby as soon as a solution is ready it can be consumed by seafarers wherever they are located, Goubert says.
“This makes the process of building
competency much more agile especially when regulations are moving fast and people want to respond to dynamic threats,” Goubert says.
Improved connectively also opens up the possibility of richer learning experiences such as cloud simulation, virtual reality, and gamification, he adds.
In terms of operations, connectivity is crucial in facilitating technology deployment and digitalisation of the maritime industry.
“Reliable connectivity allows for real-time monitoring and management of vessel operations, including navigation and maintenance. This leads to optimised fuel consumption, reduced downtime, and improved safety,” says Niraj Nanda, chief commercial officer of Anglo-Eastern.
Reliable connectivity is also essential for driving innovation in the maritime industry. Anglo-Eastern, for instance, continues to explore
innovative technologies, including drone deliveries, augmented reality, and AI, to further drive efficiency and sustainability. A notable example is the company’s remote maintenance support, which revolutionises equipment troubleshooting and enables swift issue resolution without requiring on-site specialists.
It’s not just competence, per se, that will improve, according to Manish Singh, the founder of British advisory Aboutships. Decision making will change massively, he says.
“Real-time performance feedback, shore-based support, and system diagnostics become possible with connected ships,” Singh says, discussing the rise of embedded training, remote decision support, and automated compliance — all of which he believes will raise technical competence and reduce human error.
How the daily routines of seafarers will evolve
How much of daily manual operations at sea will be made redundant by 2035?
How has your job changed over the past 10 years? Is the workload similar? That’s the kind of thoughts we asked Splash readers to contemplate in our survey with one of the key questions posed asking how much of daily manual operations at sea will be made redundant by 2035.
For all the hype about tech’s ability to streamline every facet of work, most respondents felt that the vast majority of manual operations would still be performed by seafarers 10 years from now (see results on page 48).
“We see technology as an enabler that will remove a lot of the mundane repetitive tasks allowing maritime professionals at sea and ashore to focus on the parts of the operation where they can add more value,” says Nick Copley, co-CEO of Ocean Technologies Group, a training specialist.
Advancements in automation will change the way work is performed, and possibly where those jobs are performed, according to Copley, but seafaring knowledge and skills will still be needed to ensure safe, reliable and responsible shipping for many years to come.
“Enhanced connectivity facilitates
training, remote support, and realtime data exchange, contributing to better decision-making and operational competence,” says Masaki Matsunaga, executive vice president at ClassNK, who, like Copley, sees seafarers continuing to carry out the majority of manual operations.
Routine monitoring, reporting, and maintenance diagnostics will be automated or shifted ashore by 2035, predicts Ajay Chaudhry, who heads up shipmanagement at Synergy Marine Group.
“We anticipate up to 40% automation of current manual tasks over the next decade, but also a commensurate rise in new skill demands for those going out to sea,” Chaudhry tells Splash.
However, tasks requiring immediate judgment, evaluation, or coordination, and any form of emergency response, will always need people onboard, he stresses.
As an example, Chaudhry sites how the first law of the sea is to help those in peril, saying it is hard to see how an autonomous vessel could undertake even the most basic of the search and rescue operations that seafarers perform every
day.
That said, Chaudhry does admit machinery reliability also needs to evolve.
“Systems such as ballast water treatment and exhaust scrubbers continue to demand significant manual intervention across the fleet—highlighting that automation must be paired with robust design and ongoing technical support,” he points out.
Manish Singh, who leads Aboutships, a UK maritime advisory, sees up to half of repetitive tasks disappearing from seafarer daily routines come 2035.
“Some maintenance activities will shift from done while at sea to done while in port and involve in-port crew,” he says.
Retained roles will focus on watchkeeping, critical safety and compliance, mooring, cargo care, repairs and maintenance, Singh reckons while a lot of the onboard workflow will be digitally assisted in areas such as reporting, routing, and documentation.
"With better connectivity and extensive sensors onboard, decision support systems, and AI tools, much of the manual monitoring and form-filling will go,” Singh predicts.
A lifeline to home and increased productivity
Internet use is now a critical factor in seafarer satisfaction, something that will only accelerate in the years ahead
An in-depth Inmarsat survey of nearly 400 seafarers working on merchant ships, offshore support vessels or high-end fishing vessels across the globe shows that seafarers are increasingly experiencing a sense of a ‘floating home’ when it comes to their time onboard, a portent of what’s to come over the next decade.
Seafarers spend an average 8% of their annual salary on internet connectivity, the survey found, with the cost split equally between their usage at home and onboard their vessels.
When at sea, video calling, voice calling, and messaging family and friends were the most popular uses for the internet, with a huge majority saying the connections positively impacted their mental wellbeing.
During long voyages, seafarers said they were 23 times more likely to feel positive effects from these personal interactions, rather than negatives.
Staying in touch with friends and family were the main reasons given for needing connectivity, although seafarers also cited managing work-related tasks as important, as ships increasingly depend
on real-time data for both compliance and competitive advantage.
Around two-thirds of respondents put personal video or voice calls and text messaging in their top three uses for connectivity. Less critical, but still pronounced, were top three preferences for social media (51%), web browsing (34%) and watching movies, TV shows, sports or other streamed content (29%). A small proportion identified shopping (11%) and gaming (8%) as top three online activities.
However, while 97% of these seafarers actively manage their own data usage at sea, more than four out of five said they exceeded their limit – with more than a third saying it happened often. Furthermore, a mixed picture emerged regarding satisfaction with connectivity at sea.
Of those surveyed, 28% said they were dissatisfied with the cost, while more than half said they would be willing to
Seafarers
pay more for better connections.
Overall, internet usage among seafarers increases while they are in port, with 61% reporting higher usage and only 15% using it less. On average, seafarers use the internet 18% more while in port compared to when they are at sea. Although those who use their mobile phone plans often find it cheaper than vessel connectivity, the majority of the survey respondents (52%) indicated a preference for ship connectivity over their mobile plans or port wifi.
In a remarkable finding, 83% of the surveyed seafarers expressed concern about security and privacy while using a vessel's internet – with one in nine of the seafarers reporting a data security issue, such as hacking or data loss, while connected to a vessel’s internet.
Clearly, for this seafaring constituency, work remains to be done on security before a ship can truly merit the comfort of a floating home.
spend an average 8% of their annual salary on internet connectivity
Your thoughts
In association with Inmarsat, we surveyed our readers on how they see ships of the future. Opinions varied massively
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