Maersk fits its fleet with Musk’s satellite internet system

Danish shipping major A.P. Moller Maersk has decided to install Starlink, the pioneering satellite internet constellation developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, on its fleet.

As explained, the agreement comes after a successful pilot phase where crew members on more than 30 Maersk vessels have had the opportunity to test the Starlink technology.

Now, the shipowner will install Starlink onboard 330 containerships, which enables high-speed internet with speeds over 200 Mbps. 

The service is also a leap forward in terms of internet speed and latency which will bring significant benefits in terms of both crew welfare and business impact.

“We are excited to announce our journey with Starlink to provide state of the art connectivity to our sea going colleagues. The highspeed connectivity will enable our seagoing colleagues to stay connected with their loved ones while at sea. It will also propel the expansion of seamless cloud solutions, enabling our vision to digitalise our vessel operations,” said Leonardo Sonzio, Head of Fleet Management and Technology at A.P. Moller – Maersk.

Besides benefits from high-speed internet resulting in seamless streaming and high-definition videocalls for crew members, high-speed, low-latency internet is also expected to facilitate cost-saving measures by moving business-critical applications into the cloud and by strengthening remote support and inspections of the vessels.

Starlink has been changing the game to provide reliable and high-speed internet across the globe with this satellite network. Its vision is to create a globally connected world where opportunities are not limited by geography.

Recently, another major shipping company, Hapag-Lloyd, decided to transform connectivity at sea with the rollout of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet technology on its ships. The shipowner expects that this will result in cost savings and an increase in service quality.