NIWA signs up to satellite

The New Zealand Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) vessel RV Kaharoa has been fitted with an advanced mobile satellite solution, enabling crew to download weather information during research missions across the Indian Ocean. Supplied by Wright Satellite Connections, the Thrane & Thrane Fleet Broadband (FB) 150 receiver provides the crew of the Kaharoa with broadband data and simultaneous voice services while out at sea, via Inmarsat’s I-4 global satellite network. The Kaharoa is an advanced floating research centre with purposebuilt trawl nets designed to catch various target species. It has accommodation for six crew and six scientists, and an onboard laboratory for hydrology, chemistry and marine biology. The FB150 was first tested on a three-month research voyage from New Zealand to Durban, South Africa, crossing the Great Australian Bight and the Indian Ocean. The Kaharoa then returned to New Zealand on an even more southerly route. Skipper Simon Wadsworth says they were so impressed, they purchased it immediately on returning to New Zealand.“It doesn’t have the echo or buzz and there is not so much of a delay when compared to our other terminals. “It saved me a lot of headaches by being able to get weather maps from any source at anytime. In one example, the South African weather service had its fax system shut down for repairs, so the only way to access updates over there was via the internet,” he says. Wright Satellite Connections communications systems manager Peter Nally says the FB150 offers standard IP data speeds of up to 150kbps and simultaneous voice capability. NIWA signed up for an entry-level plan as they weren’t sure how much data they would actually use. With no connection fee and no monthly access fee, if the Kaharoa is laid up for a month NIWA doesn’t have to pay for a service which isn’t being used. However, because of the flexibility the cost per megabyte is more expensive at $NZ10.64. In the future, NIWA has the option to upgrade to a higher plan, which will see the cost come down as they use more data. “Government and patrol vessels demand optimum reliability levels for their communications, and this sector has now reached a point where significant data transfer is a real requirement,” Nally says. Inmarsat’s head of maritime business, Piers Cunningham, says the global coverage of satellite networks, coupled with advances in broadband-over-satellite technology, is playing an increasingly important role in extended offshore activities such as scientific research and ocean floor exploration.