Superyacht internet bills to hit $16,000 a month: report
Watching Netflix on a superyacht is likely to come with a pretty big bill by 2025, Inmarsat warnsSuperyacht owners can soon expect to pay more than $16,000 a month for satellite communications as technology used on the luxury-laden vessels grows more sophisticated, a report into superyacht connectivity says.
The 2020 Inmarsat Superyacht Connectivity Report predicts that VSAT (very small aperture terminal) connectivity will grow significantly over the next five years as superyachts increase their digital footprint.
Some of this will be driven by owners keen to take internet-based streaming video services to wherever they want to anchor up, but a fair proportion of the bandwidth will also come from managing the superyachts, the report says.
“Additional insight into the factors driving the increasing reliance on satellite communication is also revealed, with the research showing a need for connectivity for operational use, in particular for regulation compliance and navigation, for fuel optimisation, efficiency and reduced environmental impact,” it says.
“The strong demand for trusted global communications for guest and crew use is also apparent, particularly for TV over internet protocol (IP) streaming onboard and internet access, in line with the need to meet crew welfare needs, a concern which became even more critical during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.”
Increasing use
That will push VSAT use up an expected 46 per cent by 2025, Inmarsat says, blowing monthly connectivity costs out to at least an estimated €10,000 ($A16,000) a month.
The report also addressed the threat of cyberattack, with superyachts required to comply with new network security standards aimed at reducing the risk of hackers jumping onboard.
The new International Maritime Organisation requirement will mean that from January 1, 2021, cybersecurity and the ability to take measures to handle a cyber attack will be considered as part of a superyacht owner’s document of compliance.
Inmarsat provides what it says is the world’s most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications network.
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