Today, most people take fast, reliable internet access for granted. While on land, we constantly text and talk to friends and family, watch movies or television, or access video-based social media like Instagram or TikTok without thinking much about our bandwidth restrictions.
Depending on where you are in the world, of course, that’s not the case. Countries like Egypt (6.94 Mbps), Gabon (4.99 Mbps), Venezuela (2.62 Mbps), and Yemen (0.68 Mbps) top the list as some of the slowest internet speeds in the world. (For comparison, the United States has 92.42 Mbps as the average internet speed, and it’s not even in the top 10.)
This problem, of course, gets worse offshore. Limited satellite bandwidth up to 64 Kbps or spotty coverage can make exchanging basic operational information and AIS data onshore challenging — not to mention crew wanting to have the downtime they’re accustomed to online, too.
But today’s world is a visual and interconnected one. You want to have visibility into your operations on deck, in the engine rooms, on the bridge, and in cargo holds, not just for the team onboard but for your shore team as well.
Standard video communication or more advanced technology like artificial intelligence (AI) typically requires so much bandwidth that in the past, it wasn’t worth investing in — that is, until now.
How to Gain More Operational Visibility
As the industry evolves toward a more connected, technologically-driven system of fleet management, shipping companies that do not digitize their business — implementing smarter, AI-powered technology on-board ships, modernizing data collection, and investing in crew training for these new technologies — will fail to compete.
For the first time, satellite connectivity isn’t an issue when it comes to building connected visual operations for your fleet. ShipIn’s FleetVision™ Platform is designed to operate within the specific requirements of the maritime industry. Because every vessel uses different communication systems, we built the solution to be flexible, so it doesn’t exceed 20% of your bandwidth at any given time.
This way, routine business communication won’t be interrupted, and you won’t have to restrict internet access for crew for the sake of your fleet visibility. Average consumption when interrupted is only 100 Megabytes of data per day.
What Happens When Connectivity is Lost?
If you do lose connectivity, either from equipment malfunction or from geographic restrictions, ShipIn’s system automatically queues events so continuous visibility is uninterrupted. For example, in locations like India, VSAT is barred, so while you won’t be able to see real-time updates, you will still be able to access your records.
Should the ship lose connectivity due to an equipment malfunction, ShipIn’s system automatically triggers a notification to our support team, who will contact your office within 6 hours to resolve matters and get the system back online.
We designed the system to make the most of your connectivity so as to disrupt your operations as little as possible. During periods of low connectivity or intermittent service, for example, data is queued and will transmit when vessel connectivity resumes. Similarly, the system will transmit queued or higher-resolution data when the channel is idle, like during the night.
Ship-to-Shore Communication with ShipIn
ShipIn Systems is the world’s first FleetVision™ Platform, unlocking ship-to-shore collaboration for global maritime fleets with AI and visual analytics. Using AI and computer vision, ShipIn’s platform detects events onboard in real-time, including bridge conduct, security, cargo operations, and maintenance activities. The system alerts crew onboard and teams ashore to safety or security hazards, operational anomalies, machinery concerns, and more.
With patented communication protocols, ship-shore collaboration is possible for the first time in the industry with ShipIn.
