Newsroom
Stratos Enhances Vessel Position Reporting for LRIT
--Stratos' delivery of Enhanced Pre-Assigned Data Reporting exceeds new IMO regulations--
Bethesda, Maryland (September 11, 2008) - Stratos Global Corporation, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has signed an agreement with Thrane & Thrane to upgrade the Stratos Land Earth Stations (LES) to enable Enhanced Pre-Assigned Data Reporting (EPADR).
EPADR increases the efficiency of maritime data reporting, allowing vessels using Stratos satellite services to reliably send position reports and comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) new Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) regulations. The LRIT regulations, which affect approximately 45,000 seagoing vessels, take effect December 31.
The increased reporting efficiency is critical, as the amount of daily position-report messages originating from vessels is expected to increase dramatically to more than 100,000 in 2009. Efficient management of this traffic requires each vessel's satellite communication terminal to receive automatic instructions and time slots, specifying when they can send their information to the shore.
Stratos is the largest supplier of mobile satellite services to the maritime industry, with communications to more than 40,000 maritime terminals worldwide. Stratos' industry-leading portfolio of maritime broadband satellite services includes FleetBroadband, the VSAT solutions OceanVSAT and StratosITek and the soon-to-be-released Iridium OpenPort. Stratos also offers a wide range of value-added services to provide ship managers with optimal communications performance, management control and cost efficiency.
"This upgrade demonstrates our commitment to the safety and security challenges faced by the IMO, the European Maritime Safety Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, flag states, ship owners, ship managers and application service providers in the growing maritime industry," said Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm. "By adding the vital EPADR communications management component to our LES-upgrade solution, we have shown that we are prepared to exceed the IMO's LRIT regulations."
With the introduction of IMO LRIT regulations, industry officials expect substantial growth in the number of position reports originating from the 45,000 affected vessels, which are required to report every six hours. To accommodate this increased activity, EPADR enhances the data-reporting efficiency of the mobile satellite network, ensuring that vessels can easily and reliably report their positions as required by law.
IMO Resolution MSC.202(81) established the SOLAS V/19-1 LRIT regulation on January 1, 2008 with a compliance date of December 31, 2008.
For LRIT application delivery to ship managers, flag states and data centers, Stratos is partnering with several leading LRIT application providers. For more information, please contact Stratos customer service or your Stratos representative.
About Stratos
Stratos is the world's trusted leader for vital communications. Stratos offers the most powerful and extensive portfolio of remote communications solutions including mobile and fixed satellite and microwave services. More than 20,000 customers use Stratos products and industry-leading value-added services to optimize communications performance. Stratos serves U.S. and international government, military, first responder, NGO, oil and gas, industrial, maritime, aeronautical, enterprise, and media users on seven continents and across the world's oceans. Stratos is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inmarsat plc. For more information, visit www.stratosglobal.com.
For additional information :
Carla Riggs
Director, Corporate Communications
+1 709 748 4857
carla.riggs@stratosglobal.com