Maritime Satellite Internet for Merchant Shipping & Cargo Vessels

Maritime satellite internet that goes wherever your fleet does. Merchant shipping operations depend on more than basic communications — they need reliable maritime satellite internet for smarter navigation, fleet management, crew welfare, and the digital operations that keep commercial vessels competitive. Speedcast delivers a fully managed, multi-orbit maritime network that keeps cargo vessels, bulk carriers, and tankers connected from port to port and everywhere in between, with the redundancy and SLA-backed reliability that global merchant fleets demand.

Some of our latest news and thinking around merchant shipping

Solving the latest challenges in Merchant Shipping

Challenge 1: IACS UR E26 & E27 Compliance

As of July 1, 2024 maritime cybersecurity is a baseline requirement for new vessel builds. IACS UR E26 and IACS UR E27 mandate cybersecurity standards across all onboard connected systems, and Speedcast’s SIGMA platform provides the network-level framework to help merchant shipping operators meet IMO cyber risk management requirements, protect vessel OT networks, and maintain compliance across the full lifecycle of their maritime satellite internet infrastructure.

Challenge 2: Multi-Band Connectivity

Global shipping routes demand a hybrid maritime network that handles every ocean, every coverage zone, and every technology transition without disruption. Speedcast’s multi-orbit maritime platform integrates VSAT, Starlink maritime, and LTE into a single managed connection — so cargo vessels stay online whether they’re crossing the Pacific, transiting the Suez, or operating in coastal waters with patchy satellite coverage.

Merchant Shipping delivered through Speedcast.

Speedcast’s fully managed end-to-end solution is infinitely customizable to fit your exact business needs—now and in the future. It’s an all-in-one solution, designed to guide your shipping business through digitalization and automation of worksites and business operations.

Customer Experience Management

Speedcast works alongside merchant shipping operators from solution design through to installation and ongoing management, delivering the hands-on support and customer experience that keeps maritime satellite internet performing reliably across your entire fleet.

Connectivity, Network Management, Applications & Solutions

Run your most critical vessel operations on our global maritime network — spanning 95+ satellites and 35 teleports with layered fiber, microwave, and LTE redundancy — supporting everything from GMDSS communications and ECDIS navigation systems to fleet management applications and crew connectivity. Speedcast provides full access to our differentiated, value-added solutions that cover a comprehensive range of voice, data, network and content requirements.

Professional Services

Remote connectivity is increasingly critical, and ever more difficult to manage. From 24/7 NOC support and field engineers deployed globally to expert consulting on smart shipping and vessel digitalization, Speedcast makes managing maritime satellite internet across a commercial fleet straightforward at every stage of the voyage.

FAQ

Explore common questions about satellite solutions for merchant vessels.

What is maritime satellite internet and why do merchant vessels need it?

Maritime satellite internet is broadband connectivity delivered via satellite to vessels at sea, enabling merchant ships, cargo vessels, bulk carriers, and tankers to maintain continuous communication for navigation, fleet management, crew welfare, and operational systems regardless of their position on global shipping routes. Unlike coastal cellular or terrestrial networks, maritime satellite internet provides coverage across open oceans and remote waterways where no other connectivity infrastructure exists.

Explore Connectivity

Does Speedcast offer Starlink maritime for merchant shipping fleets?

Yes — Speedcast is an authorized Starlink maritime reseller and integrates Starlink into its multi-orbit maritime platform alongside VSAT and other LEO and GEO satellite services. This gives merchant shipping operators access to high-speed, low-latency maritime satellite internet with the flexibility to combine Starlink maritime with other connectivity layers for redundancy and global coverage on commercial fleet deployments.

Check out Starlink Maritime

How does Speedcast help merchant shipping operators meet IACS UR E26 and E27 requirements?

IACS UR E26 and E27 require new vessels to meet cybersecurity standards across all onboard connected systems from build through operation. Speedcast's SIGMA platform provides the network-level maritime cybersecurity framework that helps shipbuilders and operators demonstrate compliance with IMO cyber risk management guidelines, protect vessel OT networks, and secure the maritime satellite internet infrastructure that modern merchant shipping depends on.

Check out SIGMA's Cybersecurity Solutions

What types of merchant vessels does Speedcast provide satellite internet for?

Speedcast provides maritime satellite internet for all categories of merchant shipping — including container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, general cargo vessels, and ro-ro ships — with fully managed connectivity solutions scaled to fleet size and tailored to each vessel type's operational requirements, crew welfare needs, and regulatory compliance obligations.

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