One of the big maritime tech trends this year is expected to be the scramble to install Starlink satellites on ships, something that promises to lower communication costs at sea dramatically.
At the front of the shipping queue for the technology created by Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) are the Japanese. Splash reported last month Japan’s largest shipowner in dwt terms, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), had started trial use of the Starlink service.
MOL’s rival, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), has revealed today it too is trialling the technology. Starlink uses low-orbit satellites, which NYK said in a release allows higher speed and capacity at a lower cost than conventional communications.
Musk started marketing Starlink to maritime customers six months ago with cruise line Royal Caribbean signing up as the first major customer in a fleet-wide deal. Norwegian Cruise Line has also installed the new satellites on some of its ships.
