Superyachts are the new go-to party venues, thanks to revolutionary satellite connectivity like Starlink combined with comprehensive network management systems, which are redefining the luxury entertainment experience.

Today’s superyachts aren’t just a place to relax. Sunbathing during the day gives way to evening entertainment equal to any high-end club. Guests can now enjoy everything from awesome parties with great music systems and celebrity DJs, to crystal-clear live-streaming of sports games or gigs – all within the comfortable and private surroundings of their luxury yacht. Product launches, VIP receptions, movie premieres – superyachts are now able to host a wealth of A-list events thanks to the transformation of satellite connectivity.

As Gwenaël Lohéac, President Europe and Africa for satcom specialist IEC Telecom enthuses: “The rollout of low earth orbit satellite connectivity across the superyacht community has elevated yacht entertainment to a new level. Now there is no need to go ashore – the party can come to you!”

LEO constellations like Starlink are bringing fast and reliable connectivity to leisure vessels in a way we couldn’t have dreamed possible a few years’ ago. Mr Lohéac explains that the low latency and high bandwidth of LEO satellites makes real-time events possible. Using a comprehensive network management system to separate critical vessel functions, provide robust cyber-security, and manage bandwidth-use via a full visibility dashboard is the key to ensuring the party and the vessel stay afloat. “Yachts are no longer the place that people disconnect,” he points out.

Utilising satellite connectivity via a lightweight, easy-to-install Starlink antenna also means you aren’t competing with the neighbours for airtime. In the past yachting party hosts in popular ports like Monaco and Saint-Tropez have had to compete for high-speed Wi-Fi and powerful LTE networks. When the amount of yachts competing for connectivity was too high to fully satisfy everybody, some yacht owners had to rely on VSAT instead, which couldn’t provide the high-speed experience that party-goers experience on land or at home. Thanks to Starlink, and other LEO constellations, that competition is over and the party is on!

According to Valour Consultancy’s Future of Maritime Connectivity 2024 report, which IEC Telecom contributed to, LEO uptake across the yachting sector is growing at pace and is on a trajectory to dominate the market. Almost 13,000 leisure vessels are predicted to be using Starlink connectivity by the end of 2033 – larger than the number of GEO VSAT applications currently in play.

The report also notes that Starlink installation is helping to reduce connectivity costs, highlighting that, in the Caribbean region (a key destination for superyachts), cellular service providers are reporting a decline in costs of some 80% since Starlink’s launch.

IEC Telecom is an authorized Starlink reseller and has already outfitted more than 400 yachts with its Starlink solutions. This global technology specialist is at the forefront of the connectivity revolution, delivering state-of-the-art solutions tailored to the specific needs of yachts and superyachts. Using its detailed knowledge of the sector and comprehensive understanding of connectivity it has been able to develop specific solutions for a range of maritime uses.

In particular, the company was quick to respond to planned changes in Starlink’s pricing structure which will come into force in February next year, meaning the service is only available in either 50gb or 500gb packages. IEC Telecom has introduced a flexibility scheme which maximises airtime across vessels and fleets, enabling yacht owners to transfer unused data to other vessels or to rollover to following months. What might seem at first as a pricing game, in reality is the result of complex network engineering coupled with advanced ERP modelling.

Gwenaël Lohéac outlines: “Leveraging the latest IT advances, we are able to deliver a comprehensive system that allows us to have real-time visibility over traffic consumption for each client and maximises each Mb performance with credit roll-over. In addition, our automated notifications system advises customers of suspicious patterns in traffic consumption, which can save them from losses due to unauthorised connections. In other words, no-one’s stealing our client’s broadband!”

IEC Telecom’s Starlink portfolio encompass a 360 system, including L-band back-up and a wide range of value-added services, referred to as OneGate value-adds. With this approach, IEC Telecom customers benefit from the advantages of high-speed low latency network while also ensuring business continuity of their digital operations when the main line is out of reach. For more information see the website: www.iec-telecom.com

IEC Telecom will be exhibiting its connectivity solutions for the yachting and superyacht community during Metstrade in Amsterdam from November 19 to 21.