Valour Consultancy’s brand new report, “The Future Market of Cellular Technologies (5G) in Maritime – 2023” is our first edition exploring this unknown segment of the maritime connectivity market. With the fast-evolving deployment of hybrid connectivity solutions and growing use of SD-WAN technology, this piece of research sheds light upon this previously unexplored subject.
By the end of 2023, almost 50,000 commercial vessels had cellular capabilities onboard. The use of cellular technology at sea has grown in recent years as many vessels previously only using satellite connectivity are approaching services with a multimodal connectivity approach.
Compared to satellite MSS and GEO VSAT, cellular services have no service coverage for vessels far out at sea and thus prevents cellular technology from being the primary solution in the commercial maritime market.
The leisure vessel market has been one of the early adopters of cellular technology. As such, the number of vessels with active cellular contract subscriptions is greatest here. Additionally, offshore energy and support vessels, passenger craft, fishing and merchant ships have also looked to incorporate faster and more economical cellular service where possible. The introduction and growing popularity of MEO and LEO VSAT services have slowed demand for cellular services recently in some key regions and markets.
According to the report’s author, Joshua Flood, the deployment of cellular equipment and services upon commercial maritime vessels has gone under the media’s radar. “Many people are drawn to satellite connectivity for several reasons: the higher monthly service charges that reflect the industry’s prestige, the technical virtuosity involved in space communication, and, most importantly, its role as the sole means of communication to shore when far out at sea”, states Flood.
Many ship users have gone direct to mobile operators, via regional deals, rather than using a maritime service provider. Flood highlights, “This is changing due to maritime service providers having focused on providing comprehensive hybrid connectivity solutions over recent years”. Furthermore, with the development and increasing use of the latest 5G technology with faster connectivity speeds, the new use cases capabilities will be developed, particularly in shipping ports and terminals.
Valour Consultancy is a multi-award-winning provider of high-quality market intelligence and consultancy services. Its latest study, “The Future Market of Cellular Technologies (5G) in Maritime– 2023” was developed with input from more than 40 companies across the value chain: ship management, ship operators, mobile operators, service providers, satellite operators, cellular router and antenna manufacturers. The study offers detailed insights into the market dynamics: drivers, inhibitors, technology trends and the competitive environment, while market estimates and forecasts are provided out to 2032, contained in over 50 tables and charts.
For a full table of contents and report scope,
visit: https://valourconsultancy.com/maritime/cellular/
Valour Consultancy offers multi-purchase discounts and this report can be combined with Valour Consultancy’s sister report, “The Future of Maritime Connectivity” and our quarterly Maritime Tracker service.