Satcom Global has  announced that Singapore based ship owners and charterers, Eastaway Ship Management, a member of the X-Press Feeders Group, has signed an agreement to install Satcom Global’s AuraNow VSAT on its upcoming new build container vessels.

Already live on a number of Eastaway vessels, AuraNow VSAT will provide unprecedented bandwidth flexibility onboard the X-Press Antares and X-Press Altair which are due for completion in 2022. With the groundbreaking VSAT solution on board, Eastaway can benefit from instant upgrades to their vessel bandwidth and access higher speeds for as little as 24 hours in order to arrange video calls and remote audits at short notice. The unmatched flexibility offered by Satcom Global also enables fleet managers to schedule a suspension or downgrade their VSAT package without penalty if there is a reduced demand for data, offering cost saving opportunities benefitting OPEX budgets.

Captain RS Minhas from Eastaway Ship Management commented:

“Eastaway Ship Management is delighted to work with Satcom Global and view the AuraNow platform as sophisticated, yet user friendly. AuraNow VSAT has helped our business tremendously and also allows our crew onboard to remain well connected with their family members at home.”

With 24/7/365 control over their vessel connectivity through the AuraNow customer portal, Eastaway fleet managers are empowered to change their VSAT bandwidth package as needs and requirements for data evolve. The communications management portal also gives visibility of connectivity status and performance, as well as weather and sea conditions, satellite beam overlay and vessel tracking. With true bandwidth on demand and no long-term commitment, AuraNow ensures users only pay for the bandwidth they need in 24-hour increments without any hidden charges or penalties, or a Fair Use Policy restricting data use.

Tom Phillips, VP of Sales, Asia at Satcom Global, added:

“We are proud to have Eastaway, an industry leading and forward-thinking ship management company, choose Satcom Global’s AuraNow VSAT service as they continue to meet the growing demands of the world’s global container fleet. It has been a pleasure working with Eastaway to identify and implement a VSAT solution truly capable of meeting their onboard operational communications needs whilst optimising their budget. By signing up with us, Eastaway are taking full advantage of AuraNow’s revolutionary contractual and bandwidth flexibility, designed for ocean going vessels with evolving demands.”

The latest in a series of new VSAT agreements for Satcom Global, Eastaway vessels will rely on the proven and future-proof Intellian v100NX maritime VSAT antennas to deliver the high-speed Ku-band service, with Iridium Certus L-Band back-up through the Intellian C700.

The fleet managers will benefit from improved satellite communications network visibility and management capabilities through the multifunctional IPSignature 4 ‘smart box’ in the Satcom Global below deck rack.