Can ships receive E-Mails sent over the Internet?
Ans. Most certainly. All ships have
E-mail access today. In fact in some ways ships have a
greater capability of doing so than a land based home
PC user.
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How do the E-Mails reach the ship?
Ans. The INMARSAT system provides
the link to the Internet. As all ships have some
communication capability with the INMARSAT, it follows
that ALL SHIPS HAVE E-MAIL ACCESS. INMARSAT-A,B,M and
Mini-M are Voice and Data capable and therefore have
the same capabilities of accessing the Internet, as
terrestrial telephone and communication networks.
INMARSAT-C is a text based system which interfaces
with the Internet through the CES and provides
convenient and secure E-Mail messaging capapility.
Inmarsat-C is probably the most flexible mobile
satellite message communication system. It has the
ability to handle commercial, operational and personal
messages just as easily as distress and safety
communications.
Standard Internet mail protocol (SMTP) is used on the
Internet and standard Inmarsat-C protocol is used on
the satellite link. No special software is required
neither at the Internet user, nor at the mobile user.
Sailorjob.com sends your mail using EIK. Eik LES (Land
Earth System) is operated in the Inmarsat system by
Telenor. Today it is one of the largest Land Earth
Stations in the world.
Delivery notification. will always be returned whether
positive or negative. In this case the delivery
notification is related to the final destination. This
is indicated in the small checkbox next to each
message sent, when seen in the 'INBOX' section of the
Sailor Mail.
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Which are the more common methods
of receiving E-Mails on board?
Ans. INMARSAT-C: The E-Mail is
directly received and printed onto the Inm-C printer.
This is the preferred method as there is no
downloading involved. The moment an E-Mail is sent
from the Internet, it passes onto the Land Earth
Station's server which then transmits the message to
the ship's INMARSAT terminal. This can also be used by
land based INMARSAT-C users like those working on
projects in remote areas.
For the most cost efficient use of Inmarsat-C it is
recommended that e-mails are kept below a 32,000
bytes.
The real benefit of INMARSAT-C is
-
That no additional software,
equipment or modifications are required. Inmarsat-C
is completely Internet-ready when it is supplied
from the manufacturer.
-
Users of Mobile Inmarsat-C
terminals need not register their terminal
identity.
-
It is a direct link between two
worldwide networks; the Inmarsat-C satellite
network and the Internet.
-
Landline costs are reduced to
an absolute minimum.
-
Cost-effective e-mail messaging
to Inmarsat-C ship terminals in all Ocean Regions.
INMARSAT-A,B,M and Mini-M: Being
Voice and Data capable, they can provide the same kind
of interface with the Internet, as terrestrial
telephone and communication networks. Therefore, the
E-Mail will have to be downloaded using a dial-up
connection.
This can be through a dedicated Mail Service like
RYDEX, MARINET, GLOBE MAIL etc.
Access to the Internet is available through some CESs.
The E-Mails are downloaded in the usual manner.
The disadvantages of this method are
-
The need to download as against
instant E-Mail on Inm-C
-
The expense incurred for the
download which will be for the duration that the
person is connected, which can be anything between
$3 to $10 a minute.
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Why do I have to pay for this
service?
Ans. The user does not pay anything
for the transfer on the Internet. On the satellite
link, the total number of bits in the message is
charged in segments of 256 bits. For any kind of
messaging across the INMARSAT system, the Satellite to
Ship segment has to be paid as per the rates levied by
the LES (Land Earth Station) for the particular
service.
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How does Ship to shore messaging
work?
Ans. To be able to send messages to
Internet the user must define the address of the EIK
Internet C service in the Inmarsat-C address book.
This is only done once.
Address Parameters
Name: Any - the user's choice e.g. EIK E-MAIL
Address type: Special Access
Number: 28
Char. Code: 7 bit
LES: Eik
The message to an Internet user is
prepared in exactly the same way as any message using
the Inmarsat-C terminal. However the first line must
start with the Internet address of the recipient,
preceded by the keyword TO and a colon.
Example:
to: info@sailorjob.com When
the message has been completely prepared, it must be
sent to the address of the EIK Internet C service, see
description above. The use of multi-addressing, CC
recipients and subject text is supported
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How do I calculate my E-Mail costs?
Ans. The size of a message sent is
given by the number of characters or bytes in the
message editor.
1 character = 1 byte
1 byte = 8 bits
1 kb = 1024 bits
The price for sending e-mail via satellite is charged
in units of 256 bits.
Calculation of charge-units when the message size is
given in bytes:
Size of message: 635 characters = 5080 bits:
5080 / 256 = 19.84 = 20 charge-units
The message charge is calculated by multiplying the
number of charge-units, rounded off to the next
number, by the charge ($0.18) = 20 x 0.18 = $3.60
Cost of E-mail via Inmarsat-C: Anytime, US$0.18 per
256 bits
Prices listed exclude VAT
You can easily find out how much your e-mail will cost
with the ready-reckonner on the Message editor.
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