Ravi Shankar Prasad launched maritime communication services on friday.

Lucknow: Ravi Shankar Prasad the Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology launched maritime communication services on friday.

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Speaking on the occasion, he said" maritime connectivity will enable high-end support to those travelling on sailing vessels, cruise liners and ships in India by use of satellite technology and provide access to voice, data and video services."

An official release said that Nelco, India's leading very small aperture terminal (VSAT) solutions provider, will now provide quality broadband services to the maritime sector.

It said that Nelco, through global partnerships and a comprehensive service portfolio, will help energy, cargo and cruise vessels by enabling customer services.

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The release said that IFMC (in-flight and maritime connectivity) licence has not only enabled connectivity for on board users on ships but also brings operational efficiency for shipping companies.

Last year in December the government had announced licences for IFMC. It will allow voice and internet services while flying over the Indian skies and sailing in Indian waters, both for international and Indian aircraft and vessels.

P J Nath, MD and CEO of NELCO, said that they will also be offering a bouquet of digital services to cater to the needs of the various types of maritime vessels.

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The major objectives of the project include blocking of lost/stolen mobile phones across mobile networks, prevention of mobile devices with duplicate and fake IMEIs and curtail the use of counterfeit mobile devices.