Inmarsat’s Fleet Hotspot has won the Mission to Seafarers Innovation Award at the Seafarers Awards Singapore 2022. Presented in a ceremony at the Regent Singapore hotel on 6 October, the award recognises Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, for its outstanding contribution to crew welfare.

With the well-being of seafarers under heightened scrutiny since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing crew-change crisis, recent amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 have made crew connectivity a requirement for shipowners. Against this background, demand for Inmarsat’s Fleet Hotspot has increased significantly in recent months.

Ben Palmer, President, Inmarsat Maritime, said: “As evolving crew welfare imperatives emphasise the need for onboard internet access, Fleet Hotspot is experiencing dramatic growth in uptake and usage. It has already helped seafarers through one of the most challenging periods in shipping history and continues to set the standard for crew and owner requirements on high-speed connectivity. We are honoured that the Mission to Seafarers has recognised Fleet Hotspot’s contribution to crew welfare.”

Powered by Inmarsat’s industry-leading Fleet Xpress service, Fleet Hotspot allows seafarers to stay in contact with loved ones and stream online entertainment in their free time. Through the user-friendly Fleet Hotspot portal, crew can monitor their usage or top up their balances using their own devices. Recent enhancements to the portal have made Fleet Hotspot easier to use than ever, with crew now able to access their accounts from home and purchase data before boarding the vessel.

For shipowners, the benefits of Fleet Hotspot go beyond regulatory compliance. By providing a dedicated network, the solution ensures that crew can access the internet without interfering with mission-critical bandwidth or exposing business operations to cyber threats. It also brings a competitive advantage in crew recruitment and retention, with seafarers increasingly favouring employers that offer the highest-quality connectivity services.