Empowering Small‑Scale Fishing in Norway: 4G/5G Connectivity at Sea

Norway’s fishing sector is highly commercialised, yet a significant portion remains driven by small‑scale fishermen operating modest boats. These vessels typically serve local markets, delivering direct orders to regional buyers, restaurants, or fishmongers. While such operators may spend less time at sea than large trawlers, they still require reliable internet connectivity, for maritime safety, regulatory compliance, and daily business tasks like email, order processing, logistics coordination, and digital payments.

Unlike large vessels that can deploy complex satellite and enterprise-grade networking setups, small boats need compact, dependable, and affordable connectivity solutions. This is where Peplink’s Pepwave MAX routers with maritime 4G/5G antennas offer a compelling choice, enabling scalable, high‑speed access close to shore without heavy investment.

4G/5G at Sea: Smart Terrestrial Connectivity

Peplink’s maritime antenna series, such as the Maritime 10 or Maritime 20G, harness terrestrial cellular infrastructure using high‑gain omnidirectional antennas. These IP68‑rated units (up to ~9.3 dBi gain on Maritime 10) capture 4G and 5G signals far from shore and relay them to the on‑board Pepwave MAX router (Peplink, Onboard Wireless, Peplink).

This approach is particularly suited to small fishing operations in Norwegian coastal zones:

• 5G service in ports and nearby waters enables high‑throughput connections.
• 4G/LTE, especially on low‑band frequencies, typically reaches much farther offshore—covering most small‑boat fishing routes without requiring satellite terminals.

For boats that seldom leave near‑coastal waters, maritime 4G/5G provides a cost‑effective, easy‑to‑install solution that reliably supports essential digital services.

Why Small Boats Benefit from Pepwave MAX

Peplink’s Pepwave MAX BR1 Pro 5G or similar mobile routers offer:

• Dual‑SIM / Multi‑WAN failover: Seamlessly switches between carrier networks (e.g. Telenor, Telia) to maintain uptime when one signal fades
• Advanced antenna pairing: When paired with Maritime 10 or 20G, the router extracts long‑range 4G/5G connectivity from distant towers—even in challenging coastal geography.
• Built‑in GPS and Wi‑Fi: Provides location tracking and onboard distribution via Wi‑Fi for crew devices or business tablets.
• Traffic steering: Prioritises essential services—email, regulatory apps, navigation data—over recreational or crew‑welfare traffic.
• Cloud management (InControl2): Remote monitoring, updates, usage alerts, and diagnostics via Peplink’s dashboard.
• Compact, rugged design: Easy to install on small vessels, resistant to salt spray, vibration, and UV.

Together these make Pepwave MAX ideal for crews needing reliable connectivity without satellite hardware or complex networking.

4G/5G Failover Logic: Connectivity You Can Count On

Peplink MAX routers automatically manage failover:

• Operate on a primary 5G link when coverage is strong.
• Switch instantly to a secondary 4G / alternative SIM or WAN when signal weakens—ensuring no interruption to email, documentation tools, vessel tracking, or customer communications.
• Once you return into better 5G coverage, service reverts to the high-speed link.

This ensures that even if you drift beyond 5G range or lose signal in shadowed areas, connectivity persists via 4G—ideal for typical near‑shore Norwegian fishing grounds.

Why IEC Telecom Norway Adds Value

IEC Telecom Norway blends Peplink hardware with managed services to create a complete connectivity solution:

• Local deployment: Vessel‑specific site surveys, installation, and crew training provided in Norway.
• Telenor data bundles: Optimised mobile plans over the reliable Norwegian network, structured for predictable cost and throughput.
• Support & service: From setup and configuration to maintenance and updates—handled locally or remotely.

OptiView Managed Connectivity: Your Control Platform

To differentiate this offering, IEC Norway includes OptiView, a network management and visibility tool previously deployed for maritime Starlink use.

Key benefits in this context:

• Unified dashboard: Track multiple boat installations in real time, seeing SIM usage, connection quality, GPS position, and uptime.
• Performance metrics: View throughput (4G/5G download/upload speeds), latency, and signal strength trends to optimise SIM usage or antenna placement.
• Usage controls: Set credit limits or automatically suspend data when thresholds are reached; manage crew access via vouchers.
• Network segmentation & filtering: Separate operational software from welfare traffic and apply access rules remotely.
• Alerts & diagnostics: Detect anomalous consumption or connectivity drops—helping maintain compliance and service reliability.

By coupling Pepwave MAX with OptiView, IEC Telecom ensures that fleets not only get robust hardware but also intelligent control, enabling secure, cost‑efficient, and managed digital connectivity at sea.

A Practical Path to Digitalisation for Small Fishing Boats

For small-scale fishing operations near Norway’s coast, traditional SATCOM is often unnecessary and expensive. With Pepwave MAX routers, high‑gain Peplink maritime antennas, and Telenor data bundles managed via OptiView, fishermen gain:

• Affordable high‑speed access (via 4G/5G)
• Continuous uptime via failover logic
• Essential digital tools for safety, business operations and compliance
• Local installation, training and full support
• Enterprise-grade visibility and control through OptiView

Together, this solution equips small vessels with modern digital infrastructure, supporting safer, smarter and more connected fishing operations on Norway’s coast.