Inmarsat launches Fleet F77

Inmarsat has released a new maritime service, Fleet F77, that meets the IMOs latest GMDSS criteria by providing emergency voice prioritisation and pre-emption. The function ensures that high priority communications aren?t blocked by lower priority communications. This applies to both outgoing and incoming communications. Distress calls pre-empt all other communications, with urgency, safety and routine calls following in the system?s structured call hierarchy. Inmarsat says Fleet F77, used in non-emergency mode, allows users to choose the most cost-efficient two-way communication service through its integral mobile ISDN and mobile packet data service.