Marlink Delivers Connectivity to PONANT Polar Expedition Ship

Marinelink October 13, 2021

Built at VARD’s Tulcea shipyard in Romania, with outfitting completed at the VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, Le Commandant Charcot is the first hybrid electric polar exploration ship powered by Liquefied Natural Gas. Photo © PONANT Nicolas Dubreuil

Marlink is supporting PONANT’s first polar exploration ship Le Commandant Charcot, with data and voice connectivity, aiming to create a seamless communication experience for guests.

Le Commandant Charcot became the first vessel of her kind to reach the geographic North Pole on September 6, 2021, during sea trials in preparation for her maiden voyage later this year. Marlink provides a hybrid network solution, combining Sealink dual C- and Ku-band VSAT connectivity, GEO and LEO L-band connectivity and a high-data volume LEO store & forward capability.

“Le Commandant Charcot will enable guests to follow in the footsteps of French polar scientist Jean-Baptiste Charcot, a challenge that demands the best in vessel design and operations,” says Mathieu Petiteau, Director of Newbuilds, Research & Development at PONANT. “The challenge we gave Marlink was simple: to create a communications solution without compromise worthy of polar explorers and tailored for those who follow their footsteps and they have delivered.”

The network is optimized with software defined routing (SD-WAN), and Marlink's LTE/GSM service completes the hybrid network solution and enables PONANT to provide aggregated delivery of hundreds of gigabytes per month.

Built at VARD’s Tulcea shipyard in Romania, with outfitting completed at the VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, Le Commandant Charcot features 123 staterooms and is the first hybrid electric polar exploration ship powered by Liquefied Natural Gas.

“Le Commandant Charcot will feature a new level of connectivity, enhancing the experience for guests and keeping them connected when at extreme latitudes,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President, Maritime, Marlink.