Sovcomflot to roll out VSAT solution from Orange

Written by Nick Blenkey
Image of Sovcomflot tanker

Mikhail Ulyanov, one of the first ships to use the maritime VSAT solution from Orange Business Services

Russia’s largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, is to equip an advanced maritime VSAT solution from Paris-headquartered Orange Business Services solution on eight vessels.

The first ships to receive the solution during this initial roll out phase are the Arctic shuttle tankers Mikhail Ulyanov and Kirill Lavrov. Delivered by the Admiralty Shipyard, St. Petersburg, in 2010, they are the largest oil tankers built in Russia.

Three other tankers operating in the Arctic will also be connected, along with three supply vessels serving offshore platforms in the Russian Far East.

The Orange solution automatically chooses the best quality satellite available to optimize the vessels’ connection to the corporate network. Sovcomflot will use the network to transmit the vessels’ telemetry data from onboard cameras and sensors to its Fleet Operations Center in St. Petersburg. This allows Sovcomflot to monitor the condition of its fleet in real time and optimize routing based on factors such as weather or sea ice movements.

In addition, this solution will make it easier for crews to stay in touch with friends and family, which is essential to keeping morale high.

“With Sovcomflot, Orange Business Services once again demonstrates its expertise as a leader in maritime satellite solutions and reaffirms its ambition to connect people and companies wherever they are on the globe, including in the remote Arctic,” said Richard van Wageningen, senior vice president IMEAR, Orange Business Services. “Thanks to our intelligent satellite solution that automatically connects to the highest quality network, Sovcomflot can support crew welfare and safety while ensuring business continuity.”

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