Viasat+Inmarsat reaffirms commitment to GMDSS

The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) and Inmarsat today signed a new Public Services Agreement (PSA) for the provision of mobile satellite services recognised under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

The signing ceremony took place in London, hosted by IMSO at its headquarters. Following the ceremony, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, accompanied in particular by Mr. Mark Dankberg, Chief Executive Officer of Viasat, and Mr. Ben Palmer, President of Inmarsat Maritime.

A PSA is the legal instrument through which IMSO exercises its mandate to oversee GMDSS satellite providers. It defines the obligations of the company to provide continuous, reliable safety services on a global basis, and establishes the framework for IMSO to monitor compliance with those obligations on behalf of the international maritime community.

This new PSA replaces the original agreement concluded in 1999 at the time of the Inmarsat/IMSO restructuring. It brings the text into line with the Reference PSA adopted by the IMSO Assembly, while retaining provisions specific to the original 1999 arrangement.

The revised PSA modernises the contractual framework, aligns it with that applied to Iridium, and reinforces IMSO’s capacity to exercise its oversight responsibilities. It also reaffirms Viasat+Inmarsat’s renewed commitment to continue serving as a GMDSS provider, ensuring the delivery of reliable, globally available satellite services for maritime safety.

Marking the occasion, IMSO Director General, Mr. Laurent Parenté stated:
“This agreement represents both continuity and renewal. Continuity, because Inmarsat has served within the GMDSS for decades with proven reliability. Renewal, because the modernised framework strengthens IMSO’s ability to oversee these vital services into the future, safeguarding the trust of the maritime community worldwide.”