In the shipping sector, merchant fleet owners and operators are struggling to find skilled workers as older workers retire and younger, more promising workers choose shore-based jobs that offer better compensation and are perceived as safer. New regulations and strict training standards have made it even more difficult to quickly train new workers and fill vacancies.
Similar labor problems are hampering the development of commercial fishing, where companies are struggling to replace older workers with a new generation of workers ready to perform complex and physically demanding duties. The industry’s notorious reputation for low pay, poor safety, and unattractive working conditions adds to the difficulty of competing with more attractive professions. Access to foreign workers through changes in visa regulations also poses new challenges.
Overall, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) expects a shortage of 90,000 seafarers by next year, leading to significant shipping delays, supply chain disruptions, seafood shortages and increased costs.
Greater focus on crew welfare and employee satisfaction
To address the labour shortage in the maritime sector, owners and operators of merchant shipping and commercial fishing fleets need to reach out directly to the next generation of maritime talent, while retaining existing crews to prevent turnover. This means providing better education and training, improving compensation and working conditions, and offering opportunities for advancement and career growth.
Bridging the workforce gap also requires a renewed focus on crew welfare. This includes providing workers with exceptional connectivity opportunities at sea. Satellite communications, particularly multi-orbit communications, can play a crucial role in improving the quality of life and work of seafarers.
Multi-orbit satellite connectivity is the next step forward
Maritime shipping and commercial fishing operators have long relied on satellite communications to provide communications at sea, historically for basic communications, but also foremergencies and safety. As satellite technology has evolved with higher speeds and more available bandwidth, maritime operators have expanded their use of satellite solutions to improve overall operations.
Maritime companies have new opportunities to access and leverage the best features of multiple satellite bands to not only significantly improve operational efficiency, but also to improve crew welfare standards, helping to combat employee attrition and attract new ones.
Multi-orbit satellite solutions combine the individual advantages of geostationary (GEO) and low-earth orbit (LEO) communications. GEO satellites provide broad coverage and are ideal for basic communications needs. LEO satellites offer lower latency and higher throughput, which is important for telemedicine and similar demanding applications.
Enhancing happiness, health and safety at sea through multi-orbital communication
By providing continuous and reliable connectivity regardless of the vessel’s location, the nature of the application being used or the bandwidth requirements, multi-orbital communication can enable any maritime fleet operator to implement new features and communication capabilities that can have a profound positive impact on crew well-being.
Access to reliable communication ensures that crews on merchant vessels and commercial fishermen can stay in touch with their families and loved ones throughout voyages of any length, alleviating loneliness and improving morale during extended periods away from home. Multi-orbital communication provides crews with a wide range of entertainment and access to popular social media applications.
Multi-orbit satellite communications also play a crucial role in improving the mental and physical well-being of crews, enabling telemedicine programs and coordinating emergency medical response. Crew members and their families can be assured that in the event of a medical emergency, they will have a reliable and stable connection to communicate remotely and consult with a medical professional to receive timely advice and support. This is particularly important for fishing crews who work in harsh physical and weather conditions, where accidents and extreme physical fatigue are more common. Finally, in addition to connectivity features specifically designed for workers at sea, multi-orbit connectivity also improves operational efficiency by providing real-time data exchange and the ability to conduct remote diagnostics that can prevent mechanical problems and reduce downtime. Additionally, with access to detailed, real-time weather data, crews can more effectively optimize routes and fuel usage, resulting in safer, potentially shorter and more successful flights, as well as greater employee satisfaction.
Intelsat Offers Transformative Multi-Orbit Solutions for the Maritime Industry
Intelsat is a long-standing leader in providing satellite communications solutions for merchant shipping and fisheries operators. With FlexMaritime Duo, Intelsat now offers the flexibility of a managed service in multiple orbits (GEO + LEO) or LEO only, structured to meet unique communications and business requirements.
By adding LEO coverage in hazardous fishing areas and busy shipping lanes to the global, ultra-reliable, high-performance coverage of the FlexMaritime GEO network, merchant vessels and fishing crews gain the added benefit of LEO service that supports data-intensive applications and ensures always-available, reliable, global connectivity wherever they sail.
With no sign of an improvement in the maritime workforce supply, implementing a multi-orbit satellite communications strategy could give fleet owners and operators a head start in their recruitment efforts while keeping turnover rates low.