For tens of thousands of vessels worldwide, Inmarsat Maritime’s safety services provide a critical and dependable lifeline, writes John Dodd, Head of Maritime Safety, Inmarsat Maritime.
Maritime risk has not diminished with time. In 2025, the Inmarsat network handled more than 890 GMDSS distress calls, in line with recent years. Behind every one of those calls was a crew facing a real situation, whether severe weather, an onboard emergency, a security threat, or operational failure.
At the same time, the maritime environment is becoming more complex. Geopolitical tensions, shifting trade routes, weather extremes, re-emerging piracy risks, and growing cybersecurity threats are reshaping risk. Even digitalisation and decarbonisation – which promise a safer and more sustainable maritime world – may induce the information overload that contributes to human error.
Technology has evolved rapidly across the industry, but the need for dependable, globally available safety communications remains constant. Reliability, predictability, and resilience are essential under any conditions at sea.
Inmarsat C continues to play a central role in the safety ecosystem. As the most enduring, cyber-resilient, and widely used GMDSS satellite service, it supports distress alerting, distress messaging, global reception of maritime safety information (MSI), long-range identification and tracking (LRIT), medical advice/assistance, vessel monitoring, and ship security alert systems – delivering it all through a single, resilient terminal. The service is fully aligned with IMO and SOLAS requirements.
Inmarsat is also the only GMDSS provider to deliver comprehensive global maritime safety information (MSI) through an IMO-recognised Enhanced Group Call (EGC) system, allowing seafarers to receive every critical alert wherever they are sailing.
Behind the service provided by Inmarsat C is the company’s continued investment in its ground infrastructure, spacecraft redundancy, and L-band spectrum, which underpin its existing capabilities and enable further safety-focused innovation. These long-term investments ensure that Inmarsat’s safety services continue to meet the demands of distress alerting, routine messaging, and vital MSI delivery worldwide.
In 2025, Inmarsat introduced the SafetyLink platform to simplify how operators manage the commercial and administrative aspects of safety services. Developed in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), SafetyLink reduces billing complexity and supports compliance processes, reflecting a broader focus on making safety services easier to manage as well as dependable to use.
Inmarsat is also migrating to a new service delivery platform that complements current and future safety services through enhanced provisioning and user interface capabilities.
The company operates under an international agreement governing ship earth stations (SES) – a multilateral international agreement that holds greater authority than standard IMO resolutions. Signed by multiple nations on six continents, the SES Agreement allows Inmarsat GMDSS terminals to operate in the territorial waters of the signatory countries.
Shipowners and operators need confidence that their safety communications will remain stable, compliant, and globally supported for years to come. Inmarsat Maritime continues to invest in and strengthen its safety services with this long-term vision and responsibility in mind – so that when help is needed, seafarers can rest assured that their distress alert will reach the right authorities at the right time, anywhere in the world.
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