The blog
Reading this day of Starlink services conditions For the unlimited roaming package, It appears that "maritime" mode (formerly "priority data") is maintained beyond the coastal area. It can therefore always be activated as in the past.
Excellent news for long -term boaters despite the increase in the 79 down to 89 € recently. Do not forget about address changes after two months outside the subscription region.
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Iridium has just announced the withdrown of the application and the service Iridium Mail & Web app in September 2025 !
We wanted to inform you that after more than a decade of service, l’application Iridium® Mail & Web will be put out of service 13 th 2025. We understand that this service has played a vital role by allowing end users to remain connected in distant places, And this decision was not taken lightly."
I presented in September 2023 (¹) the latest mobile communication device of the Iridium company : the GO! Exec®. Iridium has just announced the availability of its new social network application Chat App In Apple Store and Google Play. Read more …
The French satellite service provider Eutelsat has just announced on February 24 th that it has successfully completed the world's first test of connecting to the 5G non-terrestrial network using low-Earth orbit satellites (LEO) by OneWeb (¹).
This program not only addresses today's connectivity needs, but also lays the foundations for Europe's strategic autonomy in a digitalised world. ”
He said. Read more …
Updated 2.2 (February 2025)
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2025 marks the 100 years of the broadcast of marine weather forecasts The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4. This emblematic transmission, produced by the UK Met Office on behalf of MCA_media, continues to be a vital safety service for mariners along our coasts.
I had written an article at the beginning 2010 (¹) on the gradual disappearance of radio weather forecasts in France, and praised the consistency of the BBC bulletin. Fifteen years later, the marine weather forecast is still broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Long Waves at the same unchanging times. Hats off ! Read more …
Barely published my last post « Starlink Mini, a stone into the sea ” that SpaceX makes it obsolete by radical modification of its service offering. Playtime is over : now offshore boating with Starlink will require a big wallet. Read more …
Since the launch of Starlink in 2020, the hardware and service offerings were particularly versatile (¹). If the first recreational boaters were able to benefit from a navigation service far superior to the official conditions of use, it seemed obvious that this somewhat chaotic launch period would eventually be regularized, and offers stabilized. Despite still a strong disparity in equipment and subscription pricing from one continent to another, or even from one country to another, we are starting to see more clearly.
This is the case for France with the arrival of Starlink Mini. [Update of 11-12 th 2024] Read more …
Since the first launch in 2018 more than 6.600 satellites Starlink have been launched to date, of which almost 6.100 are operational (¹). Satellites have evolved technically, just as the infrastructure was gradually improved. They are launched in packets of 20 down to 23 at the rate of one SpaceX flight on average every ten days. However, the planned constellation of 34.396 satellites is still far from being achieved. Service coverage expands over time with the addition of new territories as requests for authorization from States are successfully completed. (²).
For more than four years, many boaters around the world have equipped their boat with an antenna/router kit by using the “Roaming” service. (ROAM in English) Who, with a particularly low cost, offers the possibility of maritime use off the coast thanks to an activated “Mobile Priority” option.
But everything is not as simple as that… Read more …
14 th 2011 – 14 th 2024, a birthday (¹) which does not fall round, but a performance worth saluting ! What was just a startup in the early days of the use of tablets and smartphones in navigation is now a company with a long history (²). Dominique Gauthier, its founder and manager, has participated for more than ten years in securing our iPads by becoming the exclusive importer for France of the famous cases aiShell (Originally “iPad Case”). Designed and manufactured in Germany, waterproofness and robustness that no longer need to be demonstrated, benefiting from a range of supports and accessories meeting all needs at sea. Read more …