Maritime Multimedia

Improving welfare for ship’s companies

The Challenge

To expand welfare available from support of TV and radio to online access as a key to retention and recruitment.

Our Solution

For the generation of naval personnel who have grown up with the internet; online access and connectivity is now a basic lifestyle need.  Deployment for extended periods without the expectation of such modern instant communication and information was identified as a barrier to the recruitment and retention of skilled, dedicated personnel to serve in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

For many years, deployed UK forces have relied on live TV in messes and recreational spaces via satellites, but extending multimedia services on-board led to the requirement to provide deployed online services.

STS Defence was tasked by the MoD to establish an effective support infrastructure for existing TV and radio systems – including the management of repairs, maintenance, obsolescence and spares – and to develop wider, online, multimedia solutions.

Trials of a small Wi-Fi network using 3G and commercial satellite bearers established the feasibility of distributing online services to users’ own devices although it was clear that bandwidth and security would be major issues.

Further trials delivered content via military bearers from a secure portal to a larger number of access points onboard which enabled STS Defence, the Royal Navy and the MoD to jointly develop the concept of operations for a solution, establishing the requirements for security, the user experience, the impact and interaction with the ship’s operation and the roadmap for accrediting a system on a Royal Navy platform that allowed users to access online services in recreational and mess spaces on their own smartphones or tablets.

The on-board welfare solution, provided internet connectivity via a virtual private network to the MoD’s service provider on available bearers, including military and commercial satcom as well as direct alongside connection.

The external bearer and the Wi-Fi network was inhibited at any time according to the operational status of the ship.

STS Defence successfully introduced a deployed internet system into RN and RFA service that improves the welfare of personnel onboard by giving ships’ companies access to multimedia and welfare services wherever they were, whenever, and however they wanted to consume it.