Wilson Connectivity, an enabler in wireless communication technology, has announced a partnership with Mercy Ships, the international charity that operates the world’s largest civilian hospital ships. Wilson will equip the Africa Mercy II with its Zinwave wideband distributed antenna system (DAS), giving crew and volunteers the same cellular connectivity at sea that they’d expect on land.
The project marks Wilson Connectivity’s expansion beyond its established superyacht business into the broader maritime market. Mercy Ships selected Zinwave for its ability to support truly global operations. Unlike satellite-based alternatives that carry significant costs and can’t deliver native cellular calls, Wilson’s wideband DAS connects any standard mobile phone to local carrier networks automatically. There are no special logins, no onboard portals, and no per-use fees. The phone in a surgeon’s pocket works exactly the way it would in any building on shore.
That flexibility is what makes the Zinwave platform uniquely suited for a ship that literally circles the globe. The system’s wideband architecture supports cellular, private mobile radio (PMR), and Private 5G simultaneously across a single infrastructure. As the vessel moves between African ports, European maintenance yards and transit routes, the DAS adapts to each region’s spectrum and carrier environment without hardware changes or manual reconfiguration.
“When your ship is a hospital serving patients across Africa, connectivity isn’t optional. Mercy Ships needed a system that works in every port, on every carrier, without anyone having to think about it. That’s exactly what Zinwave does. We’re proud to bring the same technology trusted by the world’s most demanding superyachts to an organization doing this kind of work,” said Bruce Lancaster, CEO of Wilson Connectivity.
For Mercy Ships, reliable connectivity isn’t a convenience. It’s operational infrastructure. The organization’s volunteer crews perform thousands of free surgeries each year in some of the world’s most underserved regions. Consistent, secure cellular coverage supports coordination between medical teams, communication with partner hospitals on shore, and the personal connections that keep hundreds of volunteers engaged during months-long deployments.
Wilson’s maritime DAS systems are engineered for continuous, unattended operation in demanding environments. The hardware is built to function around the clock without intrusive maintenance, and the cellular-grade security of the connection means crews can communicate with the confidence that comes from carrier-authenticated networks rather than open Wi-Fi.
“Our crew and volunteers give months and sometimes years of their lives to serve patients in Africa who have nowhere else to turn. Giving them reliable, hassle-free connectivity to stay in touch with their families and coordinate care is the least we can do. Wilson’s technology stood out because it works everywhere we go, on any network, without adding complexity for our team. That matters when you’re running the world’s largest private floating hospitals,” said Stacey Jennette, Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Mercy Ships.
