Safety service

Inmarsat has launched SafetyNET II, for maritime safety information providers (MSIPs), marking a key stage in upgrading the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS), which helps to save thousands of lives at sea each year. Inmarsat’s new service enables MSIPs to transition their communications to web-based messaging. SafetyNET II introduces broadcast scheduling, continual monitoring and message cancellation, among other functions. Following testing with six host countries, SafetyNET II is available for the delivery of safety-related messages to vessels including weather forecasts, navigational warnings and piracy alerts. It also provides additional reassurance to ships in distress, by modernising the infrastructure supporting the International Maritime Organization’s GMDSS.