Blazing fast internet speeds at sea seems like a farfetched idea, but thanks to SpaceX’s Starlink, it may soon become a reality.
Hurtigruten Expeditions will be the first cruise line to implement SpaceX’s innovative broadband service Starlink across all ships. In cooperation with long-time connectivity partner Speedcast, the installation will be completed in October.
“As the world leader in exploration travel, it’s only fitting that we bring the world’s most innovative technologies onboard our ships to further enhance the experience and day-to-day lives for our guests, crew, partners and the communities we visit.
“We’ve seen major players announcing plans for implementation of Starlink connectivity. Our partnership with Speedcast and fleetwide introduction of the new service not only puts us ahead of the rest of the cruise industry, it also puts us ahead of the technology. When Starlink introduces maritime coverage in Antarctica and the Arctic, we will be ready,” said Lassesen.”
– Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen
Speedcast and Hurtigruten Expeditions began testing and integration of Starlink terminals onboard the fleet of small-size expedition cruise ships in March. Installation will be complete by end of October – making Hurtigruten Expeditions the first cruise line to introduce the high-speed, low-latency connectivity across its entire fleet.
“With vessels operating in some of the most remote and spectacular areas of the world, Hurtigruten Expeditions is an ideal partner for introducing groundbreaking technology in the cruise industry. Speedcast’s expertise lies in our ability to combine all available connectivity paths and manage a complete service that offers the highest levels of uptime, availability and performance.”
– Joe Spytek, Chief Executive Officer at Speedcast
Speedcast and Hurtigruten Expeditions to introduce Starlink to Antarctic waters
Hurtigruten Expeditions is the world’s largest and leading expedition cruise line, with a growing fleet of smaller, more sustainable expedition cruise ships.
Guests, crew, and scientists on all three Hurtigruten Expeditions ships that will explore Antarctica from this fall, will be the first to do so on ships able to connect through the faster broadband service. Starlink is slated to introduce Antarctic maritime coverage in Q4 2022.
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