Introduction
As a new year gets underway, 2025 is shaping up to be a significant turning point in the maritime satellite connectivity market. This article will provide an analysis of the major players in the industry, where they’re currently positioned and what their plans for the coming year might look like. What kind of strategies and new services are they deploying and what is the effect likely to be from recent mergers and acquisitions?
Looking back to the end of 2024, Starlink was serving around 75,000 vessels with its LEO services. Obviously, these touted figures are beyond the commercial maritime marketplace and possibly include vast arrays of smaller recreational and small fishing boats. However, the major maritime Starlink resellers continue to expand their portfolios with the LEO services.
In our Quarterly Maritime Connectivity Tracker, we recorded around 24,000 vessels in our sample but considering commercial maritime vessels outside our sample, the American LEO satellite operator may have around 38,000 vessels on its services.
An interesting revelation is that we are now seeing the bigger maritime service providers deploy Starlink with their MSS-only vessels. Even these extreme cost-averse users are unable to resist the allure of Elon Musk.
The maritime satellite industry started off with a bang in 2025, with Navarino announcing the 100% ownership purchase of Castor Marine. Navarino serves more than 2,500 FX vessels worldwide, and overall connectivity revenues were nearly $100 million in 2024. In addition, it serves around 4,000 Starlink customers worldwide. This probably means the company is, or is close to, being the biggest maritime Starlink reseller based on vessels served.
Castor Marine serves around 1,000 GEO VSAT and Starlink vessels. When combined with Navarino, it became the biggest Starlink reseller. However, the company will continue to be independently run.
The three biggest takeaways are that Navarino will be able to offer its digital value-added services to Castor Marine’s customer base and gain access to some notable offshore energy clients. Meanwhile, Castor Marine will secure funding to remain prevalent in the market.
Recent Happenings
Reviewing other key pieces of news, the Danish shipping company Maersk agreed directly with Inmarsat Maritime to upgrade its FX and FB bandwidth terms across its fleet of approximately 340 container ships. Readers should note Maersk’s One SatCom platform encompasses Inmarsat Maritime’s FX service, SES Skala, and Starlink’s LEO services, all purchased directly from the operators.
Maersk’s broader strategy is to transform its vessels into fully operational “floating offices,” leveraging digitalisation, cloud solutions, and cohesive operational infrastructure.
Iridium
Iridium announced the service launch of its Certus GMDSS at the end of 2024. Iridium Certus GMDSS features distress alerts, safety voice, and maritime safety information; it also includes additional regulated services such as long-range identification and tracking and a ship security alert system. The MSS satellite operator is hoping to add its Iridium GMDSS service to the already growing Iridium Certus and the large customer base of Certus and OpenPort. As such, seafarers can now take advantage of the most robust communication and safety maritime solutions on the market.
This latest service aims to keep Inmarsat Maritime’s GMDSS Inmarsat-C service on its guard. While there isn’t as much excitement compared to new LEO broadband services, this remains a subtly lucrative portion of the market and also crucial for saving people’s lives.
Iridium has between 15,000 to 18,000 maritime vessel subscribers via its OpenPort and Certus services. Furthermore, advocating for a slight snippet increase in monthly service charges for GMDSS should not be a hard sell. Overall, Iridium reported revenue growth of 5% Year over Year in 2024, with $831 million. For comparative purposes to its overall business, its subscriber base was 2.46 million by the end of 2024, which grew by 8% in the year.
Viasat
Viasat reported a decline of 8% year-over-year for its Q3, highlighting declines in Inmarsat Maritime legacy FB offerings. Maritime revenues for the group amounted to $119 million. However, expectations for the calendar year 2025 remain buoyant. Its CFO informed investors the rollout of new service NexusWave, along with the entry into service of the second ViaSat-3 satellite will “help turn these trends around beginning late in fiscal 2026,”. Presently, Dankberg said Viasat has orders in the low hundreds of vessels for NexusWave and expects to increase the number of orders substantially in the next year.
Presently, Inmarsat Maritime has trialled its key customers on its new Nexus Wave service, a bonded hybrid network. Two prominent shipping companies, K-Line and Hapag Lloyd, are participating. Soon, a number of these trials will conclude, and it will be intriguing to foresee how they transition to commercial offerings.
The operator also updated the schedule for the third ViaSat-3 satellite (F3), pushing back its entry into service from mid- to late-2025 to calendar year 2026. The move is due to Viasat changing the specific configuration of the launch vehicle to a cheaper configuration with a longer orbit-raising time.
Marlink
In December 2024, Marlink signed an agreement with Thoresen Shipping, a dry bulk shipping company based in SE Asia, with the migration of its fleet to Sealink NextGen solution. The hybrid network comprises of a blended VSAT with Starlink LEO, and additional MSS backup services. The SD-WAN application routing is enabled by its XChange network management tool and includes cyber endpoint detection protection. The XChange enables the seamless fusion of the various networks, be that, GEO, LEO or MSS backup – to leverage the highest uptime available and guaranteed global coverage. This agreement follows up on from Marlink’s deal with Transpetro, Brazil’s biggest crude and product tanker operator. Marlink’s hybrid solution will be installed on 26 of Transpetro’s tankers. The installation process started in October 2024, on multiple vessels and is due to be completed by the of end Q1 2025.
Viewpoints
What is becoming clear is that connectivity is becoming more commoditised, and operators in the market need to diversify with other digital services or service models. A key growth area is cybersecurity and IT management digitalisation tools. Many of the larger service providers are expanding these services and promoting them across their customer base. Our market research analyst, Alishia Sims, predicts` maritime cybersecurity service revenues will surpass $300 million per annum within 24 months.
Additionally, companies are continuously looking to “be a partner” with their customers and offering advisory services for how to handle the complex connectivity ecosystem.
In effect, “how can we help vessel operators manage their options? What are the parameters of these offerings? What are your backstops if and when something goes wrong?”
Conclusion
The rapid adoption of LEO broadband services in the maritime sector is undeniable, with Starlink leading the charge. However, as more providers enter the space, competition will intensify, putting pressure on profit margins. The industry must adapt by embracing value-added services, digitalisation, and cybersecurity to maintain profitability.
As 2025 progresses, further acquisitions and mergers seem inevitable. Companies like Navarino and Castor Marine are setting a precedent for strategic consolidation, ensuring stronger market positioning. Service providers that fail to evolve will likely struggle, leading to further restructuring within the sector.
With connectivity becoming commoditised, maritime service providers must look beyond bandwidth and focus on digital solutions. Cybersecurity, network management, and IT advisory services will become crucial differentiators, offering long-term value to vessel operators navigating an increasingly complex ecosystem. The successful ISPs will likely soon record a mix of 30/70 split of digital services with connectivity sales. Some speculate 50/50 but this is a tad too soon.
While LEO continues to capture market share, traditional GEO VSAT and MSS services remain critical for specific segments. Iridium’s focus on GMDSS and Inmarsat’s NexusWave initiative highlight the ongoing competition between legacy operators and new entrants, ensuring diverse connectivity solutions remain available.
The days of simple bandwidth sales are fading. Operators are now expected to provide a comprehensive service model that integrates multiple connectivity solutions, software, and advisory services. The challenge will be balancing innovation with sustainable revenue generation in a rapidly evolving market.
2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for maritime satellite connectivity. With technological advancements, strategic acquisitions, and new service rollouts, the industry is undergoing a profound shift. Companies that can adapt to the changing landscape will thrive, while those that fail to innovate may struggle to stay afloat.
Speaking to one expert in the industry, we have been told that we actually need to be thankful to Starlink. They have raised the bar and thus shifted everyone’s expectations for more and faster. As such, more users are developing applications that can utilise these faster speeds, which will drive innovation and more opportunities for other areas. One thing is clear, there is no going back.
