Reliable communications for the Bergen Surveyor

Livewire Connections have once more used their extensive experience and knowledge in the field of maritime satellite communications to bring business critical high speed, reliable data and voice connectivity to the vessel Bergen Surveyor.

Marine geophysical services company, WGP, contacted Livewire Connections looking for a complete satellite communications solution for the Bergen Surveyor, a 66m survey vessel chartered for seismic surveying operations.

This was no mean feat due to a number of influencing factors. Firstly the planned exploration work was due to be carried out in a remote area near Svalbard, an area with challenging weather and not known for reliable satellite service. Secondly the vessel was under charter, therefore all the equipment needed to be secured in place, but also light and straight forward enough to install on another vessel as and when required. The final limiting constraint was the one week time frame in which to install the equipment on board.

Livewire Connections installed the 1m SeaTel VSAT antenna and Iridium Pilot in optimum positions with the VSAT antenna mounted on a raised pedestal eliminating any blockages. The two communication systems were routed through the Livewire Access Controller to the ship’s network, giving the Operations Manager full control over quality of service and bandwidth allocation.

Airbus Defence and Space Pharostar Premium VSAT service was selected to provide highly reliable internet access with a fixed cost each month. As a customer of Livewire Connections, WGP were able to be flexible in their approach to the satellite communication choices on board. Initially selecting a lower airtime rate to help reduce costs, however they were able to change to an upgraded service providing higher bandwidth speeds as and when required. The Bergen Surveyor, needed to send regular survey updates and this was successfully achieved with this flexible service.

Iridium Pilot (powered by OpenPort) was provided as a backup to the VSAT service due to the high Northerly latitudes being surveyed. The Livewire Access Controller FB-10 was configured with restrictions applied limiting the usage of the Iridium according to individual roles on board.  Usage monitoring was also implemented, a feature which allows all costs to be monitored and capped ensuring any high usage was authorised and controlled.

Four voice lines were provided, two with a standard number and two for crew calling. The crew calling feature is a vital part of crew welfare, where prepaid cards were purchased so the crew and engineers could contact their friends and family whilst at sea.

“We were delighted with the performance of the VSAT system provided. We were working in the Barents Sea, just below 74°N and the system worked well for both voice and data communications in all weather.” Comments Andy Murphy, Offshore Manager at WGP. “There were a couple of instances when we lost the VSAT and couldn’t get it back, however with the Iridium system I was able to contact Livewire and any issues were soon resolved. We will definitely use the system again on our next project, it’s good to know we have a reliable system and there is support there if we need it.”

“Despite the challenging conditions faced by the Bergen Surveyor, the 5 degree look angle and the changeable weather, we were delighted with the excellent service and reliability which was achieved. It has outperformed all of our expectations.”  Commented Paul Rowlands, Account Manager at Livewire Connections.