Starlink wins Maersk ships, Qatar Airways
October 16, 2023
By Chris Forrester
Denmark’s giant Maersk shipping line’s container ships have selected SpaceX’s Starlink system for broadband connectivity. Qatar Airways has announced that it has also signed up for Starlink.
Maersk’s more than 330 own-operated container vessels will have Starlink installed, enabling high-speed internet with speeds of over 200 Mb/s. Maersk says the service is a leap forward in terms of internet speed and latency which will bring significant benefits in terms of both crew welfare and business impact.
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 – resulting in very positive feedback.
“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 & Technology at A.P. Moller/Maersk
Qatar Airways said it is the largest airline to date to offer Starlink – but only on specified aircraft and routes. The high-speed, low-latency broadband internet access will be complimentary for all passengers with frictionless ‘One-Click-Access’ onboard.
“Starlink’s service will be a further enhancement of Qatar Airways’ 5-star onboard experience,” said the airline.
Qatar Airways and Starlink are currently in the pre-launch phase of the rollout strategy across Qatar Airways fleet.