Seafarer Connect is proud to announce $150,000 in new funding from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust to expand ship-to-shore WiFi access across Queensland ports, including Brisbane and Gladstone.
This funding will allow the roll out of additional Seafarer Connect WiFi devices, giving thousands of international seafarers who visit Queenslands’ ports and harbours reliable, free internet access while their ships are berthed alongside the wharf. For many crew members on foreign-flagged vessels, connectivity is scarce, expensive, or entirely absent while at sea.
Reliable internet is more than convenience, it’s a vital lifeline. Seafarers are often away from home for many months at a time, facing isolation and limited contact with loved ones. Free and easy-to-use internet in Australian ports means they can reconnect with family, access education or training materials, manage finances, or simply keep up with daily life online that those of us who work ashore take for granted nowadays.
The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has long supported projects that improve the welfare of seafarers worldwide. This partnership ensures that Queensland ports will play their part in addressing the digital divide that too often leaves seafarers disconnected.
Seafarer Connect, a project of the Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation, continues to work alongside unions, welfare organisations, and port communities to provide practical support for those who keep global trade moving. With this new funding, we’re one step closer to ensuring every seafarer who arrives in Australia can stay connected when it matters most.