What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Telecommunications or Electronics engineering degree, or a higher vocational diploma in the field: Spanish Higher Technician in Telecommunications and IT Systems (Royal Decree 883/2011) or in Electronic Maintenance (as a guide).
- If taking on radio duties from the muster list: GMDSS General Operator's Certificate (GOC) under STCW Regulation IV/2 and the ITU Radio Regulations.
- For at-sea GMDSS maintenance as the company's chosen option: First- or Second-Class Radio Electronic Certificate (STCW Regulation IV/2, section A-IV/2 — as a guide, depending on flag and the maintenance option chosen).
Basic STCW
- STCW Basic Safety Training (A-VI/1).
- Crowd Management (A-V/2) according to the muster list (Regulation V/2, passenger ships).
- Maritime security awareness (A-VI/6-1).
Specific courses
- Manufacturer courses for stabilised VSAT antennas (e.g. Intellian or Cobham SAILOR) in Ku/Ka bands.
- Operation of maritime satellite services: Inmarsat (FleetBroadband/Fleet Xpress), Iridium Certus and LEO constellations such as Starlink Maritime (as a guide, fleet-dependent).
- IP networking: CCNA-type certification or equivalent in routing, VLANs and firewalls (as a guide).
- Associated safety and security systems: LRIT, SSAS and telemedicine videoconferencing (per-ship system training).
Indicative experience
As a guide: 2-4 years in maritime or satellite telecommunications — on board, as a field engineer for an integrator or in a teleport/NOC — before taking responsibility for a passenger ship's link. Demonstrable experience troubleshooting antenna and RF faults, not just networking, is valued.
Observations
The GMDSS radio watch belongs to bridge officers holding a GOC; this role sustains the technical layer. SOLAS Chapter IV requires ensuring GMDSS equipment availability by at least one of three methods — duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance or at-sea electronic maintenance capability — and passenger ships commonly combine several (as a guide, depending on flag and sea areas A1-A4). Typical route: electronics/telecom technician → shipboard SATCOM technician → communications officer → Chief IT Officer (own card in this explorer) or shoreside fleet engineer. In an emergency, these links sustain MEDEVAC, telemedicine and SAR coordination: well-tested redundancy is the best insurance.
What this role does
Without satellite there are no onboard transactions, no telemedicine, no guest connectivity, no reporting to the office: this role maintains the ship's lifeline to the world. It combines regulated maritime radiocommunications (GMDSS, SOLAS Chapter IV) with network engineering and fast-evolving satellite systems, where low-orbit constellations coexist with classic VSAT and bandwidth has become a service guests expect to match shoreside.
Typical watches
- Continuous monitoring of satellite links and GMDSS
Key responsibilities
- Maintain stabilised satellite antennas, VSAT systems, telemedicine and weather reception.
- Ensure the ship's financial transactions and operational communications via satellite.
- Carry out and log periodic tests of GMDSS equipment (MF/HF, Inmarsat-C, EPIRB beacons and SART transponders) in support of the responsible officers.
- Manage bandwidth and quality of service (QoS), sharing the link between guests, crew and the ship's operational systems.
Operational scope
- Communications room, upper-deck antennas, GMDSS systems
- The ship's data network on its satellite leg (WAN) and links to the fleet office
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.