Maritime industry officials said that Hyundai Global Service (HGS) has signed a business agreement with Inmarsat, which offers mobile services via terminals which communicate with ground stations through geostationary telecom satellites. HGS provides marine services for the shipbuilding and power generation segment.
HGS will use high-speed broadband connectivity offered by Inmarsat's satellite communication service called Fleet Xpress to provide digital total solutions. HGS offered an option to provide related technologies as a service package to ships built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, said an official familiar with the agreement.
Under new rules imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. maritime safety agency, the amount of sulfur emanating from ships should be reduced from January 1, 2020. IMO's environmental regulations will increase the preference for digital total solutions that support efficient navigation systems.
IMO plans to adopt e-navigation after 2020. Route sharing and data exchanging are key elements of e-navigation, and South Korea has launched a state project to put a smart maritime navigation system into service in 2021.