INMARSAT Plc. said an application for the Asian fishing market it has tested and certified has been launched recently.
“Fishermen onboard Chinese coastal fishing vessels can now keep in constant contact with friends, family and colleagues, thanks to a brand-new application developed exclusively for Inmarsat’s Fleet One service,” the British satellite operator said.
In a statement, Inmarsat said the application was created by Beijing Marine communication and Navigation Co. (MCN Beijing), the firm’s distribution partner in the People’s Republic of China.
Fish Chat, Inmarsat said the bespoke chat application provides texting and picture exchange capabilities and push-to-talk voice services.
The application is available for both Android and iOS devices, enabling fishermen to chat with their friends and family or colleagues using their own smartphones via Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi, according to Inmarsat.
Fleet One has already been installed on fishing vessels globally since August; feedback from captains and crews continues to be very positive, the company added. “We have been doing intensive research and evaluation in recent months on how Fleet One could be optimized for use by coastal fisheries,” MCN Beijing President Cao Desheng was quoted as saying.
“In the past, this market has been perceived as being on the low end for data communications and extremely price sensitive. To counter this and make it more appealing to the target customer, we designed a tailor-made and user-friendly application.”
Desheng explained the company “tried other preexisting smartphone chat apps in the market.”
“However, all of them had difficulty with controlling background data volume.”
“Fleet One has made access to voice and data services more accessible and affordable for small vessels. With the introduction of the Fish Chat application by MCN Beijing, Chinese coastal fishing vessels are better positioned than ever to make the most of this connectivity.” said Guy Sear, Inmarsat Maritime vice president for business development and communications.
Dennis Estopace