Cruise & Ferry Review - Spring/Summer 2021

1 2 1 Lars Erik Lunøe, CEO of Telenor Maritime “The next generation of connectivity at sea offers amazing opportunities to revolutionise the way that passenger ship owners do business. With KNL Networks – a new member of the Telenor family – ships connect to shore by secure radio mesh network which allows instrumentation and telemetry data access up to 10,000 miles away. Adoption of innovative technology like this leads to leaner, greener and more efficient vessels. Affordable, real-time, global, secure access to onshore maintenance and management is the future. Meanwhile, maritime broadband will evolve with greater speeds at lower cost. Secure connectivity platforms are vital for mobile coverage, remote telemetry and backhaul. Our networks will protect investments, enable cost savings and sustainability, and improve responsiveness and safety.” “Once the vessels that are currently laid up return to service, we predict that demand for bandwidth onboard cruise ships and ferries will be greater than before. As such, Marlink has used the pause in cruise activity to strengthen its network, adding another satellite access platform which allows for higher throughput. Using the adoption of communications technology in other maritime market segments as a guide, it is clear that patterns of use are changing and that demand is increasing among both business and personal consumers. In a post-Covid-19 world, we believe people will rely more heavily on connectivity and the cruise and ferry markets will be no exception.” “Navigation has always been about safety, whether passenger ships or cargo vessels, and always will be. But while today’s shipping operations are significantly safer than those of a century ago, it does not mean navigational technology cannot continue to advance by using modern developments, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Hence, the industry is beginning to integrate these tools into bridge systems through e-navigation. We need to ensure that these systems work harmoniously together. Bridges have long been filled with technology aids, but now is the time for them to be seen as a single holistic system, with integration at the heart.” Tore Morten Olsen, President of Maritime at Marlink Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, CEO of Tototheo Maritime