Keeping in touch with terra firma has resulted in data consumption at sea almost tripling as seafarers, often stuck on vessels prevented from docking or refused crew change, rely on internet connectivity for their mental wellbeing.
According to British telecoms company Inmarsat, its Fleet Express service recorded an increase from 3.4 to 9.8 gigabytes of downloaded and uploaded data on 11 000 vessels for the first three months of the year.
Mobile activity among crew members has been cited as a primary reason for Covid-driven data usage.
Remote access to face-time for business reasons also heralded a sharp increase in data consumption for the first quarter (Q1).
Apart from Inmarsat’s statistics for Q1, the Seafarers’ Happiness Index report for the same period noted that the mood among seafarers had generally improved compared to last year’s widely experienced coronavirus anguish.
The report points out that seafarers are drawing significant benefit from increased Wi-Fi connectivity at sea as it helps them to establish real-time contact with loved ones.
In addition, satellite specialist Euroconsult indicated that the living conditions on board a ship had been compromised by social distancing requirements, compounding the hardship seafarers faced for prolonged periods and making it all the more crucial to stay in touch with friends and family for their mental wellbeing.
