Photo: Essberger

[Via Satellite 06-28-2016] Maritime shipping company John T. Essberger (JTE) Group is moving its entire fleet to Sealink, Marlink’s global maritime broadband VSAT service. The Essberger Tankers division fleet consists of chemical vessels, while JTE Dry Cargo operates a fleet of bulk carriers, multi-purpose tonnage and container vessels, as well as cement tankers. A total of 22 chemical tanker and nine dry cargo vessel installations are to be completed by the end of the year.

Essberger plans to use higher bandwidth and cost control through the global Sealink VSAT service to deliver new crew communication facilities and introduce streamlined processes for ship/shore data transfer. Marlink is also equipping all vessels with the XChange communication management system to comprehensively manage the fleets’ IT and communication tasks via an integrated platform.

Essberger will manage its voice, Voice Over IP (VoIP), and data connectivity for corporate and crew usage, and will also use the Universal Remote Access (URA) function of XChange to keep full control of onboard IT networks from shore. All vessels will be equipped with two voice lines and Wi-Fi access points to allow crew to connect with their own personal devices.