Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, announces the expansion of its global FlexMaritime service, now enabling connectivity for vessels traveling in Indian territorial waters and immediately enhancing the service coverage for all of Intelsat’s 8,000 existing FlexMaritime vessels.

The landmark development also provides access for Indian-registered vessels to Intelsat’s award-winning global high throughput maritime network. Intelsat’s expansion is made possible by a new in-country gateway that is operationally ready to provide service via Intelsat’s HTS satellites under India-based partner Cloudcast‘s In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) license.

FlexMaritime provides high-speed, resilient connectivity service with 99.95% proven network uptime. The expansion of FlexMaritime into India will open new business opportunities and accelerate digital transformation for thousands of Indian-flagged vessels and ships trading in Indian territorial waters. According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95% of India’s trading by volume and 70% by value is done through maritime transport.

“The completion of this regulatory milestone means customers of our FlexMaritime solutions partners will immediately benefit from the well-known power, performance and resilience of the FlexMaritime service in Indian waters,” said Intelsat Senior Vice President of Mobility, Mark Rasmussen. “The network expansion also demonstrates Intelsat’s commitment to mobility services providing yet another new dimension of global trade with access for Indian companies.”

Intelsat has experienced continued growth in its FlexMaritime service. More than 8,000 vessels benefit from unrivaled network density and a global, multi-layered high-throughput satellite (HTS) fabric that enables partners to create unique service packages at enterprise-grade performance levels. With terminal sizes of 37cm, 45cm, 60cm and 1 meter, FlexMaritime meets the connectivity needs of every type of vessel with scale and global reach, even in high-traffic port locations.

The gateway will be located in Noida, India, serving as a critical link between Intelsat’s terrestrial ground network and space assets and extending Intelsat’s existing global network to a vital trading port.

Services are slated for availability at the beginning of 2022 through Intelsat’s many solutions partners.