PRESS RELEASE 3. October 2017
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Finnish maritime high-tech set to revolutionise Arctic situational awareness
Finnish maritime innovators Fleetrange and KNL Networks have successfully pioneered in providing cost-efficient Arctic situational awareness using a unique combination of IoT, Cloud and 3G/HF hybrid telecommunications technology. The solution includes up-to-date weather-, ice-, ship tracking and sensor data and sustains critical email communications in areas where satellite communications are expensive, unreliable or non-existent.
Fleetrange Ltd, a rising star of the Finnish maritime startup-scene, and KNL Networks, a revolutionary telecommunications company, have successfully solved Arctic situational awareness and communications challenges with their combined “Fleetrange with KNL” solution. The companies are also allegedly the first in the world to provide Arctic maritime situational awareness, IoT and communications using technology independent of satellites.
The technology trial has successfully been completed onboard Salén Ship Management’s luxury Expedition Cruiser “Hebridean Sky” during her Arctic season around Svalbard. The trial included the Fleetrange IoT cloud platform which uses KNL’s long-range – up to 10 000 km – 3G/HF hybrid communications technology to provide Arctic situational awareness between the ship and shore side office as well as sustaining critical operational email communications for the Captain.
“Fleetrange and KNL has always been a big help on our entire stay in Svalbard, especially on those areas that we don’t get any signal at all with the VSAT, by receiving the updated Ice Charts and Weather Forecasts in GRIB files, it truly helped us. I am impressed with how useful the HF email is when nothing else is available to connect and contact from the head office, supports, etc. And it enabled us to send reports despite the loss connection on our VSAT,“ – says Dindo L. Talon, IT Officer of M/S “Hebridean Sky”
“Ships in the Northern Arctic waters have been relying on non-existent or lower quality and expensive digital satellite communications for a long time. It is truly amazing for us to be able to change this and be the pioneers with KNL in providing high availability digital communications and situational awareness solutions for these harsh waters”, – says Henrik Ramm-Schmidt, CEO and Founder of Fleetrange Ltd
“At KNL our mission is to free the maritime industry from connectivity constraints, and this trial with Hebridean Sky is a great example of fulfilling that vision. Together with Fleetrange, we’re proud to have provided the key link of communication and content where satellite is unavailable,” says Toni Lindén, CEO and Founder of KNL Networks
The trial was conducted during Hebridean Sky’s Arctic season 2017, where the ship was fitted with KNL’s patented and revolutionary cognitive and software defined radio equipment and Fleetrange IoT units. The Fleetrange cloud-based situational awareness solution was used to deliver up-to-date weather data and ice charts automatically to the ship and receiving IoT sensor data from the ship. The communication and awareness solution was systematically tested and monitored during the trial, which took the ship around Svalbard and all the way to the Arctic ice edge.
The “Fleetrange with KNL” solution is based on a unique combination of cost-efficient IoT and Cloud technology, where the ship sends IoT data, such as location, surrounding AIS-traffic and motion, and receives up-to-date weather and ice data from shore using KNL’s 3G/HF hybrid communications technology. KNL’s technology, in itself, is based on an automated cognitive mesh-type radio network, where ships within 3G coverage act as base stations for ships further out at sea at distances of up to 10 000 km. KNL technology is completely independent from communication satellites and offers a cost-efficient, global and cyber secure channel for email and IoT data.
Additional info:
Henrik Ramm-Schmidt
CEO and Founder, Fleetrange Ltd
henrik@fleetrange.com +358400269199
Martin Buhl
VP Sales, KNL Networks
martin.buhl@knlnetworks.com
Fleetrange Ltd
Fleetrange is an innovative Finnish maritime IT-startup with the mission to intelligently connect fleets and people with data, regardless of time, place, or device. Fleetrange solutions are firmly based on cost-efficient, simple, and visual real-time operational awareness.
www.fleetrange.com
KNL Networks Oy
KNL Networks is a Finnish telecommunications company offering the world’s first true alternative to satellite-based digital communications. The company’s hybrid solution utilizes 3G and long-range HF-radio waves together with a cognitive mesh-type radio network and provides always-on connectivity to shipping, enabling and improving business and digitalisation.
https://knl.fi/
Salén Ship Management
Salén Ship Management is a ship management company based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Our mission is to manage small expedition and destination cruise ships at a very high standard. Salén Ship Management strives to run a hands-on operation with a permanent staff which include captains, chief engineers and hotel managers who share their time between ship and shore. Our team of people has vast experience from shipping, small ship cruising and maritime law. One of the founders is from the Swedish shipping family Salén – hence the name.
Salén Ship Management has the technical and hotel management of Island Sky, Caledonian Sky and the newest acquisition Hebridean Sky. These excellent destination cruise ships carry 114 to 118 passengers and are on long-term charter to Noble Caledonia in London.
www.salenship.com