News

Starlink Teams Up With Elcome To Offer Maritime Internet

The new service will give ships and luxury yachts internet access with speeds up to 100 times faster than currently available.

Published

3 years ago

January 9, 2023

Nour Nasir

starlink teams up with elcome to offer maritime internet

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet startup has partnered with Elcome International — a marine electronics company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The pairing aims to launch a new maritime-based internet service with unparalleled transfer speeds.

According to Elcome, the Starlink-backed service will offer internet speeds that are 100 times faster than conventional satellite solutions, helping the luxury yacht sector to provide a better service to clients, as well as boosting download speeds for merchant ships and even oil rigs.

“We are so excited to bring the benefits of Starlink to our customers. It’s not just about fast internet, but the opportunity for us to implement real-time remote monitoring and autonomy solutions for these customers in ways that were not previously possible. Also, consider the benefit to crew members who will now be able to better stay in touch with family and friends while out at sea,” says Jimmy Grewal, Elcome Executive Director.

Also Read: Kuwait Aims For Digital Transformation With Google Partnership

The service uses Starlink’s low-orbit satellites, which currently represent the largest constellation of their type at such an altitude. Elcome will provide their customers with installation, integration, and field support for Starlink connections, with multi-antenna arrays delivering super-fast, low-latency bandwidth.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.