Signing ceremony in Seoul
On 24 August 2026 Inmarsat Maritime – now part of Viasat – and South Korean telecoms provider SK telink formalised a partnership at the latter’s headquarters in Seoul. The contract signing was witnessed by Laurie Eve, vice‑president of Global Merchant Sales for Inmarsat Maritime, alongside Shin‑Yong Lee, senior vice‑president and head of the Satellite Business Division at SK telink.
Scope of the NexusWave rollout
The accord covers implementation of Inmarsat’s NexusWave service on a broad swathe of vessel types operated by South Korean shipowners. According to MarineLink, the deployment will include car carriers, container ships and very‑large crude carriers (VLCCs) belonging to operators such as HMM and SINOKOR, among others.
Both parties stress that the service is intended for owners seeking “enhanced operational efficiency, resilience and crew welfare”, a phrasing echoed by gCaptain in its coverage of the deal.
Technical edge and regulatory fit
NexusWave is described as a digital foundation that supports cloud‑based applications, remote technical support, cybersecurity measures, vessel‑performance optimisation and increasingly connected crews. The Hellenic Shipping News highlighted the system’s ability to manage the availability of individual network underlays in line with local regulations while maintaining a bonded service connection.
For operators trading heavily across Asia, this flexibility is vital. Inmarsat Maritime brings its global satellite footprint and long‑standing regulatory expertise, while SK telink contributes market presence and direct customer relationships within South Korea.
Future capacity boost via ViaSat‑3
The partnership also looks ahead to the integration of the upcoming ViaSat‑3 constellation. As noted by The Maritime Executive, the planned incorporation of ViaSat‑3 into NexusWave is set to “substantially enhance capacity” for the region, delivering higher performance and greater flexibility on some of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
What this means for operators
The agreement gives South Korean shipowners a ready‑made pathway to modernise their connectivity infrastructure without having to negotiate multiple contracts. By leveraging a fully managed service model, operators can expect faster adoption of data‑driven tools – from predictive maintenance to real‑time crew welfare monitoring – while remaining compliant with regional regulatory demands. The anticipated ViaSat‑3 capacity uplift further ensures that bandwidth will keep pace with growing digital workloads as the industry moves toward more sophisticated cloud applications.