Elcome, a Dubai-based marine electronics company, is linking up with Amazon Leo to provide low-Earth-orbit internet connectivity to the maritime sector.
The company signed an authorised reseller agreement with Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, to increase internet offerings to the commercial maritime sector with Amazon's Leo Pro and Leo Ultra connections.
"Amazon Leo technology will help transform how vessels communicate, operate and integrate with their shoreside networks," said Jimmy Grewal, managing director of Elcome.
Mr Grewal said that under the agreement, Elcome will be able to offer Amazon's Leo connectivity devices to fleets operating across all major oceans, supporting merchant shipping, offshore service vessels, commercial fishing and yachting.
“This agreement advances our mission to deliver global, scalable and future-ready connectivity to the maritime industry,” he said.
"Our satellite connectivity business has grown to over Dh200 million per year, and our monthly connectivity revenue has almost doubled in the past twelve months alone."
In 2023, Elcome also linked up with Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX, which also provides low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service Starlink.
Although Starlink is considered to be a leader in the sector, Amazon is investing heavily and quickly becoming a contender.
"Becoming one of the first Starlink resellers in the world was a defining moment for us, and this agreement with Amazon Leo is the next chapter in that journey," said Abdulla Al Shafar, an executive director at Elcome.
Unlike traditional satellite communication options such as geostationary satellites, which orbit Earth at altitudes of 20,000km to 35,000km, low-Earth-orbit satellites are in the range of 160km to 2,000km, significantly accelerating internet speeds and reducing the latency usually associated with satellites.
In contrast to 5G or broadband internet connectivity, low-Earth-orbit satellite internet terminals do not depend on mobile towers or high-speed data lines, enabling internet connectivity in remote areas.
They have also proven effective in areas where internet infrastructure has been damaged during war or natural disasters.
Elcome, founded in 1970, provides support services for its low-Earth-orbit service clients from its Dubai headquarters.
The company has an "existing fleet connectivity footprint" of at least 5,000 vessels.
Amazon Leo's head of global business, Trevor Vieweg, said: "Elcome will provide the connectivity that modern maritime operations demand.
"Customers on the open seas will have the ability to power critical technology, using our antennas designed to operate seamlessly in challenging maritime environments.”
The low-Earth-orbit and satellite broadband market could be worth as much as $400 billion by 2040, according to research from Morgan Stanley and the Satellite Industry Association.
