The Evolution of Inmarsat Maritime: NexusWave Surpasses 1,000 Ships and Beyond

Introduction

In 2024, Inmarsat Maritime announced the launch of a new bonded hybrid connectivity service, NexusWave.

The rapid uptake of LEO broadband services within the commercial maritime certainly caught many people by surprise. However, Inmarsat Maritime views its arrival as complementary – a catalyst for accelerating hybrid, multi-orbit solutions.

As the summer solstice started in the northern hemisphere, Inmarsat Maritime announced that more than 1,000 commercial maritime vessels have signed up for the NexusWave service.

What is NexusWave?

NexusWave seamlessly integrates GX Ka-band GEO, partner LEO, coastal LTE, and L-band FleetBroadband (FB) services into a bonded, fully managed solution.

The premise of the concept is simple: rather than switching between different services, NexusWave aggregates all networks into a single service, meaning users can harness the aggregate speeds and capacities of all available networks simultaneously rather than relying on one at a time.

E.g. 200 Mbps of LEO broadband, 50 Mbps from GX, and 50 Mbps of LTE (if LTE is within range). The future-proof NexusWave will also integrate the next-generation ultra-high capacity high-speed ViaSat-3 Ka-band service, following entry into service.

Earlier this year, the company conducted real-world tests which demonstrated NexusWave’s notable performances: download speeds of up to 340 Mbps, far exceeding the example we provided, and upload speeds of up to 80 Mbps. Inmarsat has also announced that its network availability on NexusWave vessels consistently exceeded 99.9%.

A gas shipping company Anthony Veder is among NexusWave early adopters, and played an important role in shaping the development of NexusWave through their participation in preliminary discussions and beta testing. They noted NexusWave’s ability to support cloud-based business applications and advanced operational technologies, and the enterprise-grade cybersecurity.

The three main differentiators of NexusWave

The data allowance of the service is unlimited. However, other satellite operators have looked to match this in recent months.
Enterprise grade connectivity, with SLA agreements in place on availability, and guaranteed speeds
Secure by design’ infrastructure included within the service

Recent Happenings

Back tracking to the recent announcements of Inmarsat Maritime surpassing 1,000 vessels with NexusWave. Nearly a dozen companies have announced trialing and using NexusWave, however, if you assume the average fleet is 15-20 ships, it is safe to assume the number of the shipping companies on NexusWave’s service books is way higher than those publicly announced.

Some of the publicly announced companies in the first half of 2025:

Sallaum Lines, a leading Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) cargo shipping company, is upgrading from its Fleet Xpress to NexusWave connectivity service. The incorporation of the new bonded hybrid service has enabled Sallaum Lines to adopt modern operational technologies, such as IoT sensors, collaborative tools to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency across its fleet (8 vessels).
Caribe Tankers is assessing performance of NexusWave, on board its chemical tankers, Caribe Maria and Caribe Luna. The tanker company wishes to offer the most attractive connectivity services for its seafarer.
In May 2025, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) agreed a deal to upgrade its vessels on Fleet Xpress service to NexusWave. This fleet-wide transition to NexusWave will allow MOL to accelerate their digitalisation strategy.
“K” Line has said that the company requires connectivity services that are fast, reliable and global. Furthermore, high-speed internet connectivity will greatly contribute to their reforms to onboard workstyles, automated ship navigation, crew welfare and digitalisation initiatives.
Solvang ASA, gas carrier fleet equipped fleet‑wide with NexusWave. After trials on the Clipper Explorer, her Captain reported, “I only have positive things to say about NexusWave. Since the service was installed, our online applications have been running smoothly, with higher connection speeds than ever, no downtime, and not a single issue reported by crew.”
Pacific Basin Shipping, initial deployment on five dry‑bulk vessels. The company commended NexusWave for enabling uninterrupted ship–shore audio and video conferencing and delivering a “home‑like Internet connection” to seafarers
 A. Vinnen & Co., trial of NexusWave on select number of its container vessels, addressing increasing internal data transfer volumes and demand among crew members for fast internet onboard.
Toei Reefer Line Ltd, NexusWave was deployed to support its sashimi‑grade refrigerated cargo operations. The company stated that it has been a long-held desire to implement fixed-rate, high-speed communications at sea. High-speed communication will become an indispensable part of the ship’s infrastructure in the future.
Anthony Veder contributed in the early stages of development and key factors were highlighted for the company’s digital transformation strategy, operation resilience and tools, and crew welfare.

Feedback on NexusWave

Many readers will be surprised with this point, but it does resonate with shipping IT managers. People still like GEO VSAT and L-band as back-up. It’s reliable and the coverage is better when considering geopolitical matters.

In the case of NexusWave, the service cost is predicable cost, and truly unlimited data consumption, converse to other connectivity services’ data allowances. Furthermore, a single point of contact for support and service makes it convenient. Additionally, one of the key benefits of the service is that it focuses on crew welfare and video calls.

For example, Solvang AS started its NexusWave rollout with its Clipper Jupiter back in October 2024. The second vessel equipped with NexusWave was the Clipper Explorer. Three more vessels will be upgraded to NexusWave soon.

Going Forward

Inmarsat Maritime next steps will be incorporating the services of ViaSat-3 high-capacity GEO VSAT, which will further enhance connectivity and operational capabilities.

Ultimately, the company will look to increase its NexusWave vessel count over the next few years, and is likely looking to hit 2,500 vessels by the end of 2025.

Inmarsat Maritime has excellent relationships with the biggest commercial shipping companies around the world. Its Fleet Xpress service has been deployed onboard more than 16,000 vessels worldwide at its peak. It’s almost like an IBM quote; some shipping companies consider it almost sacrilegious not to buy Inmarsat’s connectivity services.

The changing of the guard has begun. While Fleet Xpress is still being deployed, NexusWave becomes the flagship offering in the portfolio offered by Inmarsat Maritime and the number of its partners.

There are four NexusWave tiers offered as a fully managed service with a broad range of features included in one monthly fee, such as unlimited data, hardware and upgrades, care programme, upgrades, and the upcoming ViaSat-3 which will deliver additional capacity when the new service comes online. In addition, Inmarsat Maritime has been very proactive over the last few years in developing digital value added services for crew, cybersecurity, and other.

Conclusion

NexusWave’s 1,000 vessel orders milestone demonstrates strong early momentum. Inmarsat Maritime is out of the starting blocks and well into the race with its hybrid bonded network service.

The acceleration of NexusWave deployments will only continue at a rapid rate for the next 18 months. Inmarsat Maritime still remains one of the key players and one of the largest satellite connectivity providers in the maritime realm.

Recently, Starlink’s connectivity service suffered a network outage for a reasonable period. Although this does not mean a seismic shift for shipping companies not to trust the LEO broadband provider, it shows redundancy and hybrid services are vitally important.

The key question now is can one provider tick all the boxes for a professional enterprise shipping network?

Is the secret sauce…many companies, with many networks provide the best service or can one company cater for a multi-orbit offerings? Does it need to be one provider for LEO broadband, one GEO VSAT, another for MSS or cellular?

Inmarsat Maritime provides the contrasting perspective of offering multiple networks under a single entity. Many people will have differing views of Inmarsat Maritime, some positive and others’ negative.

What is indisputable is the effect the company has had on the number of people in the maritime connectivity industry, who have worked at Inmarsat, completed partnership/secondment periods working with them.

Hopefully, this will be the rights steps for a rebound to the very top.

For more information about our latest maritime connectivity intelligence and how each maritime satellite service is progressing, please look at our latest report, The Future of Maritime Connectivity – 2025 edition.

Introduction

What is NexusWave?

The three main differentiators of NexusWave

Recent Happenings

Feedback on NexusWave

Going Forward

Conclusion

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The Evolution of Inmarsat Maritime: NexusWave Surpasses 1,000 Ships and Beyond

Introduction

What is NexusWave?

The three main differentiators of NexusWave

Recent Happenings

Feedback on NexusWave

Going Forward

Conclusion

Related Posts

“Valour Consultancy’s research and analysis pertaining to in-flight connectivity adoption is excellent. It helps us understand how the market is expected to grow in the future, and predict whether airlines will aim to launch IFC services on its fleet.”

“The new report on aircraft seating and in-seat power systems provides a very comprehensive market and industry landscape information – the first of its kind containing that level of detail.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“Valour’s maritime connectivity report provides the most comprehensive, detailed understanding of the market, with clear independent insights into the market trends and inhibitors. We use this report as the bible for our business strategy and marketing on what is happening in the industry.”

“Valour Consultancy’s report on The Future of Body Worn Cameras and Systems is well written, detailed and an excellent insight into the key markets. The analysis of the global law enforcement market was extensive and provided us with valuable industry information of this evolving market.”

“In a global market as dynamic as in-flight connectivity, Valour has established itself as a reliable source of market intelligence and insightful analysis. The team is responsive to requests and clearly engaged in improving an already impressive product.”

“The team around Valour Consultancy equips us with the value-added intelligence needed to make well-informed business decisions in a very dynamic market. The passion and knowledge of the team make it a real pleasure to work with them.”

“Astronics is using Valour Consultancy’s 2016 in-flight connectivity report extensively. We’ve found it highly useful in our long-range planning and it has aided in our market research.”

“The Valour Consultancy report on in-flight connectivity provides very detailed insights on the market and it constitutes a very useful tool for the marketing and strategy team at SITAONAIR. The Valour Consultancy team is also very friendly and we enjoy our working relationship with them.”

“Valour Consultancy has provided an incredibly thorough perspective on the in-flight connectivity space, offering insight into drivers of the current and future state of the quickly growing category.”