Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has secured Cyber Security Type Approval from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for NexusWave, its fully managed, bonded multi-network connectivity service, sources indicated on 8 September 2026.
The approval assessed NexusWave’s compliance with the International Association of Classification Societies’ Unified Requirement E27, known as UR E27, and is presented in the report as a further step for the service in meeting classification society cyber-security expectations.
NexusWave is described in the report as a fully managed, bonded multi-network service, combining multiple communications links into a single, managed connection for ships. The Bureau Veritas Type Approval specifically focused on the cyber-security aspects required under UR E27 rather than operational performance or commercial terms.
The announcement was framed as advancing secure multi-network connectivity for the digital vessel, reflecting an industry emphasis on verified cyber defences as shipboard systems link to shore and to cloud services. Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave has been positioned by the company and by the report as a piece in that wider shift towards certified connectivity solutions for modern merchant ships.
The Bureau Veritas approval is a technical assessment rather than a market endorsement, and it follows the increasing attention paid by class societies to cyber security standards that apply to shipboard systems and communications. Where a communications product is Type Approved to a recognised unified requirement, owners and operators gain an external assurance that particular cyber-security criteria have been evaluated.
What the approval covers
According to the published account, the BV Type Approval examined NexusWave’s conformity with UR E27, the IACS requirement addressing cyber security measures for equipment and systems. The Type Approval therefore relates to whether NexusWave satisfies the elements of that standard as presented to Bureau Veritas for review.
The report does not extend to statements about operational deployment, commercial availability or retrofit pathways for vessels; it confines itself to the technical approval granted by Bureau Veritas for the NexusWave product against the UR E27 criteria. The presence of Type Approval may influence decisions by shipowners and managers who require classified cyber-security assurance for fitted or contracted communications services.
Industry context and next steps
The move comes amid broader industry attention on the security of shipboard connectivity as vessels adopt more extensive digital systems and rely on multiple network paths for redundancy. The reports item frames the Bureau Veritas approval as a milestone for Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave within that environment.
The announcement, as reported, is limited to the fact of the Type Approval and its UR E27 scope; it stops short of quantifying changes to service features or of specifying timelines for roll-out as a result of the certification. Readers seeking operational detail or vendor statements beyond the approval itself should consult the company or the classification society for follow-up information.
The Maritime Gazette will continue to note developments where manufacturers and service providers publish further technical documentation or where class societies issue additional Type Approvals that shape the adoption of bonded multi-network arrangements aboard commercial ships.