...FleetBroadband and existing and evolved services, including Inmarsat B, Fleet F77/55/33 and Mini M. The service allows a maritime RCC to place a priority voice call to any ship equipped with Inmarsat equipment, with the space segment of the call being free of charge. To place a call, the RCC dials a unique number. They are then asked to enter their account number (PIN), followed by the phone number of the Inmarsat maritime terminal they wish to contact. The telephone call will then be placed with distress priority. All RCCs associated with Inmarsat services have been issued with PIN numbers.
Inmarsat is the satellite communications cornerstone of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and has been since its inception in 1992 under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention. All of the Company's GMDSS-compatible services are equipped with a distress button that, depending on the service being used, sets up a distress priority voice call direct to a MRCC on shore or sends an automatic distress alert message. GMDSS-compliant services include Inmarsat B, Inmarsat C, Mini C and Fleet 77.
FleetBroadband terminals upgraded with a distress alarm panel, which includes a red distress button, and suitable software. This enables distress priority calls to be made to a suitable RCC based on the geographic position of the vessel. FleetBroadband safety voice services are available globally and are ideal for small to medium-sized vessels in the merchant, leisure and fishing sectors.