Marlink
Maritime VSAT integrator and Starlink reseller — cruise lines, ferries, merchant marine, offshore.
Provider Snapshot
Where you'll find it
About Marlink
Marlink is one of the largest maritime VSAT integrators in the world. It bundles satellite capacity from operators like Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat, Inmarsat (now Viasat) and increasingly Starlink into managed connectivity packages for cruise ships, ferries, merchant vessels, fishing fleets and offshore platforms. Marlink does not own its own satellites — it is a wholesale customer of multiple operators and resells managed services with onboard hardware, support, and value-added services like crew welfare portals and IoT. In recent years Marlink has become a major Starlink Maritime reseller, integrating Starlink terminals alongside legacy VSAT hardware as a hybrid stack. Cruise customers include MSC (legacy) and ferries including Brittany Ferries (in conjunction with Telenor Maritime) and various Mediterranean operators. The shift from pure GEO VSAT to Starlink-led hybrids has been the defining change in Marlink's customer base over 2023–2026.
History
Marlink originated from the maritime business of Telenor Satellite Services and has grown through acquisitions including Palantir, Telemar (maritime electronics) and OmniAccess (yachting). It is owned by private equity firm Apax. As Starlink Maritime emerged from 2022 onwards, Marlink became one of the earliest authorised Starlink resellers in the maritime space and now sells Starlink alongside its legacy VSAT contracts as part of its "Hybrid Network Solutions" stack.
Operators using Marlink (0)
How Marlink Compares
Marlink's value proposition is not satellites but integration: managing crew welfare portals, regulatory compliance, multi-operator failover, and vessel-IT support. Pure-Starlink deployments via the cruise line's IT team are eating into the simpler use cases, but Marlink's hybrid approach (Starlink + VSAT + L-band safety) remains attractive for vessels needing redundancy and 24/7 service. Expect Marlink to remain a major maritime player by adding Starlink rather than competing with it.
| Marlink | Starlink | |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit | GEO / ATG (high latency) | LEO (~30ms latency) |
| Typical Speed | 10–50 Mbps typical on legacy VSAT; 100+ Mbps on Starlink-equipped vessels | 100+ Mbps typical, 350+ peak |
| Latency | ~600ms (GEO) / 60–100ms (ATG) | ~20–44ms |
| Trajectory | Defending installed base | Rapid airline adoption |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Marlink?
Marlink is a maritime VSAT integrator and Starlink Maritime reseller. It packages satellite capacity from multiple operators into managed onboard connectivity for ships and offshore assets.
Does Marlink own satellites?
No. Marlink is a wholesale customer of operators including Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat, Inmarsat/Viasat and Starlink. It owns the onboard hardware, network management software and customer relationships, not the spacecraft.
Which cruise lines use Marlink?
MSC Cruises historically used Marlink before transitioning to Starlink. Various smaller cruise lines, ferries, river cruise operators and yachts use Marlink today, often in hybrid VSAT-plus-Starlink configurations.
Marlink vs Starlink?
They are partners, not pure competitors. Marlink resells Starlink to maritime customers and integrates it alongside legacy VSAT for redundancy and operations / crew-welfare features. A pure Starlink deployment skips Marlink and goes direct.