Satcoms service provider, Speedcast is delivering expanded connectivity capabilities to Lindblad Expeditions, as part of a multi-year contract extension.
In a service upgrade, Speedcast is providing GEO and Starlink LEO satellite services, as well as cellular near-shore wireless, L-band satellite and Speedcast’s upgraded SD-WAN and SIGMA solutions.
With the addition of Starlink services, Speedcast is installing two maritime, flat-panel, high-performance antennas on board several of Lindblad’s ships, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The key to the enhanced quality of user experience is attributed to the integration of Starlink services into Speedcast’s Unified Global Platform (UGP), which provides guaranteed connectivity levels that Starlink’s high-bandwidth, internet-class service cannot ensure as a stand-alone service, the company said.
Speedcast’s UGP implementation for Lindblad Expeditions includes an upgrade to SD-WAN – a software-defined network technology that blends multiple transmission paths into a single, optimised, secure WAN of networks – and SIGMA, Speedcast’s cloud-based solution that manages access to global networks across GEO and LEO satellite, L-band and cellular near-shore wireless.
It was claimed that this solution provides the Lindblad Expeditions fleet with uninterrupted, high-quality service. A combination of network-of-networks technology takes maximum advantage of the strengths of Starlink, Speedcast satellite connectivity and cellular near-shore wireless, as Lindblad ships change position and sail to the world’s outer limits.
“The decision to further enhance the capabilities available to much of its fleet demonstrates Lindblad’s commitment to a superior guest and crew on board experience,” said Brent Horwitz, Speedcast’s Senior Vice President – Cruise & Ferry.
“The future of satellite is software-defined, and our expedition cruise customers are among the first companies to see this benefit in their daily operations,” he said.
“With the launch of Starlink, our guests, crew, and visiting scientists will be able to stay connected like never before while still immersing themselves in some of the world’s most remote, fascinating places,” added Arthur Theodorou, Vice President of Information Technology at Lindblad Expeditions.
“Speedcast has enabled us to exceed the expectations of our guests in terms of connectivity, voyage after voyage. Furthermore, enhancing on board technologies with the introduction of Starlink LEO service has proven to be beneficial as part of a comprehensive solution from Speedcast,” he said.
