Our team of maritime and nearshore connectivity experts at Telecom26 are preparing for this year’s World Maritime Day which will be celebrated on 30 September. This annual event is spearheaded by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to focus attention on the importance of shipping and other maritime activities.

As a global connectivity service provider, Africa is a key focus for Telecom26 and we provide connectivity - including IoT networks - across the continent with customers and partners in almost every country.

Providing always-available maritime data connectivity for vessels of all shapes and sizes is one of Telecom26’s core services. Whether it’s a ship travelling from China to Europe laden with containers, or a sunny Sunday on a yacht, our Global Roaming Service - which uses maritime cellular communications - is all that’s needed to stay connected.

Earlier this year, Telecom26 announced that it had been chosen as the new global mobile connectivity provider for the in-car fleet management systems of GlobalmatiX, a rising star in the telematics industry, whose customers include the world’s best known rental car brands including the Enterprise, Alamo and National brands.

Our maritime connectivity team wanted to share this interesting piece by Bloomberg, which says that “The shipping industry is seeing the biggest spike in lost containers in seven years. More than 3,000 boxes dropped into the sea last year, and more than 1,000 have fallen overboard” - as at April 2021 with the loss calculated to be $54.5 million.

In April we announced that eSIMS are now available for Telecom26’s global roaming service. This was followed swiftly by our first big customer win with GlobalmatiX, choosing Telecom26’s eSIMs to provide mobile connectivity for its in-car fleet management systems – used by global car rental firms including Enterprise, Alamo and National.