Report: Up to 13% of Global Merchant Fleet Still Unable to Access the Internet

A new survey has found that up to 13% of the global merchant fleet lacks internet access.

British ship inspection company Idwal has just released a social impact report, which utilizes data from over 130,000 ship inspections conducted over a 17-month period ending in September last year, providing unprecedented transparency into the working and living conditions experienced by seafarers in the global maritime fleet.

One significant finding is that internet access is poor for most of the global fleet. While over half of the surveyed ships do provide free WiFi for crew members, the majority of ships have limited bandwidth and download quotas. Only 12.5% of the surveyed vessels offer unlimited free internet access.

Due to limited internet access, ships often alter their course to seek connectivity from shore. This practice of changing course to find WiFi signals can lead to disasters - the most notable being the grounding incident of the Wakashio newcastlemax bulk carrier four years ago, which triggered Mauritius' worst environmental disaster in history.