Marlink has completed the ‘world’s first’ upgrade of an existing Intellian C700 Iridium Certus terminal to a fully commissioned Iridium Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) aboard Fugro’s offshore supply vessel Fugro Revelation.
The upgrade, carried out in partnership with Intellian Technologies and Iridium Communications, enables the vessel to access Iridium GMDSS services without replacing its existing satellite communications terminal.
The system provides distress alerting, safety voice communications and Maritime Safety Information (MSI) through Iridium SafetyCast, alongside commercial voice and data connectivity.
During the upgrade, the vessel’s existing Intellian C700 above-deck and below-deck units were retained, along with the antenna and associated cabling.
A Safety Display Terminal, handset and approved installation components were added to the bridge, while the existing SIM card was replaced with an Iridium GMDSS SIM card.
According to Marlink, retaining the existing hardware reduced the need for physical modifications and limited disruption to vessel operations.
The upgrade is supported by Marine Equipment Directive (MED) and Marine Equipment Regulations (MER) type approvals, which specify that existing C700 terminals can be upgraded to SOLAS-approved GMDSS systems.
“We chose to upgrade an installed Intellian C700 Certus terminal by adding a Safety Display Terminal, extending its capabilities to include Iridium GMDSS. The installation process was straightforward and completed without complications,” said Oigen Blankert, OTS Business Partner Lead at Fugro.
The upgraded terminal also supports three simultaneous non-GMDSS voice lines and commercial data connectivity, which can be used for out-of-band management or as a backup to other onboard communications systems.
Additional capabilities include support for Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) and the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), subject to activation, configuration and testing.
Iridium GMDSS operates over Iridium’s low-Earth orbit satellite network, providing maritime distress and safety communications with global coverage, including polar regions.
Fugro is also considering upgrading existing C700 Certus terminals across its fleet, citing potential cost and integration benefits from combining safety and commercial communications on a single platform.
