November 11, 2011
TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today announced that its subsidiary MOL LNG Transport Co., Ltd. (MOLLNG; President: Reizo Funakoshi) had completed to install a high-speed, monthly fixed-charge (flat rate) Internet service "OceanBB" for vessels using VSAT*1 provided by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SKY Perfect JSAT; President: Shinji Takada), on the MOLLNG-managed Wakaba Maru and four other LNG carriers in October 2011.
Since July 2008, MOL, MOLLNG, and SKY Perfect JSAT conducted a joint on-board trial operation of marine broadband on LNG carriers managed by MOLLNG. As results, MOLLNG confirmed that the system was effective to vessel operation, and decided to proceed with installation, thereby:
In addition, MOLLNG installed Japan's first IP vessel telephone service, "BIZTEL Ocean," featuring a cloud IP connection provided by a SKY Perfect JSAT's business partner Link, Inc. (president: Motoharu Okada), and allowing for extension-to-extension calls between shore and vessels. This will significantly reduce the charge of telephone calls for both vessels and on-shore personnel.
MOL set enhancement of safe operation as a key strategy in its midterm management plan "GEAR UP! MOL", and forges ahead to become the world leader in safe operation. Adoption of this new service and new technology is part of that plan. MOL takes an ongoing and proactive stance in the development and introduction of various technologies that will contribute to safer operation.
*1. VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal, a terrestrial satellite terminal