Photo: KVH.

According to the new Futurenautics Maritime’s Crew Connectivity 2018 Survey Report, 92 percent of seafarers say that internet access strongly influences their decision on where to work, up from 78 percent in prior years. The report is based on a survey of 6,000 serving seafarers.

According to the report, more seafarers than ever have access to connectivity: Some 75 percent of seafarers can now use the internet at sea, which is a rise of 32 percent or more than half a million more crew (520,000, to be exact) since the last survey three years ago. Ninety-five percent of seafarers view connectivity as having a positive effect on onboard safety, while 69 percent of respondents view the increasing use of Big Data and analytics as a positive opportunity for their jobs in the next five years.

“This report further emphasizes the need and desire — from shipping crews to passengers — to have robust, flexible networks that enable always-on connectivity,” says Shane Rossbacher, Intelsat’s director of maritime product management. Intelsat is one of the sponsors of Futurenautics Maritime’s Crew Connectivity 2018 Survey Report, together with KVH.