Cornerstone of the GMDSS since 1992

All of our GMDSS-compatible services are equipped with a Dedicated Distress Button (DDB) which, depending on the service being used, sets up a distress priority voice call direct to a Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) on shore or sends an automatic distress alert message to an associated RCC. GMDSS compliant services include Inmarsat B, Inmarsat C, Mini C and Fleet 77. 

FleetBroadband maritime safety voice services (non GMDSS)

Inmarsat offers a suite of maritime safety voice services for its FleetBroadband family of terminals – FB500, FB250 and FB150. They include:

• Distress priority voice calls– available for all FleetBroadband terminals made by Cobham and upgraded with a distress alarm panel, red distress button and suitable software. This enables distress priority calls to be made to a suitable RCC based on the geographic position of the vessel.
• Urgency voice calls– comprising calls for medical advice, medical help and maritime assistance. They are made by dialling one of three two-digit codes, depending on the type of urgency call required. Urgency priority calls are free of charge.

Distress and urgency calls utilise pre-emption and prioritisation in both directions – ensuring that maritime safety calls are always connected.

• 505 Emergency calling– a free short code dialling facility providing access to maritime assistance. Seafarers dial ‘505’ and their call will be routed to one of three strategically located RCCs. It is available on all FleetBroadband terminals from all manufacturers, as well as the FleetPhone Oceana 800.

FleetBroadband safety voice services are available globally and are ideal for small to medium-sized vessels in the merchant, leisure and fishing sectors.

The history of safety at sea

Watch our short video, which charts the 100 year international history of safety at sea, to see why mariners around the world have trusted their lives to Inmarsat’s safety services for more than 35 years.