Photo: Speedcast

Speedcast has added 13 Gpbs of capacity to its network to support demands in the cruise and energy markets, the company announced in late May. Speedcast’s network size now “significantly” surpasses the company’s pre-pandemic levels. The service provider completed the network upgrade over a five-week period in April and May and expanded its ground network with a new teleport to support the added capacity. 

Speedcast’s Unified Global Platform, which provides managed connectivity for customers in energy, maritime, and enterprise markets, now includes 30 Gbps of total bandwidth. 

Speedcast said the cruise industry is driving “record-setting growth” as 51 ships were scheduled to re-enter service in May and many cruise line vessels are returning to 100% capacity. The energy sector is driving demand as well, and Speedcast noted that overall rig utilization is at its highest level in seven years.

CEO Joe Spytek said this rapid expansion demonstrates the value of Speedcast’s software-defined network. 

“We’re able to deliver on the concept of ubiquitous connectivity to a remote site for the best user experience,” Spytek said. “We’re incorporating all available technologies and network options – multi-path and multi-orbit – to offer the most cost-effective connectivity solutions with the highest levels of availability and flexibility. Being technology-agnostic, we can also shield the customer from the risks of technology obsolescence and loss of service that come with dependence on a specific network.”

Speedcast also recently announced plans to integrate OneWeb’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity into the network. Customer demonstrations are set to begin next month.