BLUE OCEAN Wireless, the Dublin-based maritime communications group, has raised $7.5 million (€5.3 million) in new funds from three of its biggest shareholders.

The capital has been provided by Smart Communications, a wholly-owned mobile subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company; NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest mobile phone provider; and Tralee-based software group Altobridge.

Claret Capital, the Irish investment group and previously Blue Ocean Wireless’s largest shareholder, did not participate in the funding round and has had its stake diluted.

It is understood that Claret now owns 20 per cent of the company. Smart and NTT, which are related companies, are now the majority shareholders in the Irish company.

The company, which was set up in 2007 by Claret Capital founder Dómhnal Slattery, said the funds would be used to “accelerate the rapid introduction of FleetBroadband and next generation maritime communication services”.

Blue Ocean Wireless provides Sim cards to merchant seamen to enable them to use their phones to contact home while at sea. It was the first company to provide such a service.

FleetBroadband will provide data and voice services to vessels at sea, giving crew access to high-speed internet services and e-mail.