Unique portal helps seafarers stay connected while out at sea
Free broadband for maritime customers
Singapore, 14 April, 2011 -- Singapore Telecommunication Limited (Singtel) today announced a free maritime broadband offer and the launch of a new web portal that will allow crew members to keep up with the latest news and stay in touch with their friends, family and co-workers.
Called crewXchange@singtel, this one-stop portal (crew.singtel.com) allows users to subscribe to news feeds, access emails, and chat with their friends using various messenger platforms. This ‘lightweight’ portal is available free of charge to all Singtel maritime broadband customers and optimised to cater to bandwidth limitation on board vessels.
“Singtel is committed to transforming and enhancing the way the maritime seafarers work, live, learn and play,” said Mr Bill Chang, Executive Vice President of Singtel’s Business Group. crewXchange@singtel will provide a bandwidth-optimised networking platform where the seafarer community can communicate with their headquarters more efficiently, get connected with their loved ones, be updated with the latest knowledge through e-learning content and get access to entertainment content more cost-effectively. It is a service that will be very valuable for the welfare and upgrading of maritime crew members.”
To facilitate better communication among their own crews, companies can also set up their own private chat rooms. With Singtel’s extensive maritime broadband network, it is estimated that almost 10,000 crew members will benefit from this community network by logging onto crewXchange@singtel from their laptops or devices while on the vessels.
Free broadband for maritime customers
From now till 30 June 2011, Singtel is also offering free broadband of 128kpbs on C-Band to all maritime customers for two years. There will be no monthly charge for customers who purchase antenna upfront.
From 12 to 14 April, Singtel will be at booth G08 at SeaAsia 2011 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre where a range of applications, including telemetry and tracking, integrated network management system will be showcased. On the crew welfare side, visitors can check out crewXchange@singtel, an all-in-one crew kiosk solution which offers email access, chat and surf on one integrated platform, providing an enhanced online experience for ships out at sea due to the bandwidth optimiser.
Through Singtel’s partnership with the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA), SatCom@SMA offers Singtel’s satellite communication facilities and simulates satellite communications between on-board vessels and a shipping company’s offices. SatCom@SMA also offers a suite of maritime communication applications for learning and testing, including distance learning facilities for seafarers.
About Singtel
Singtel is Asia's leading communications group providing a portfolio of services including voice and data solutions over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms as well as infocomm technology and pay TV. The Group has presence in Asia and Africa with more than 383 million mobile customers in 25 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. It also has a network of 36 offices in 19 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States.
