[SatNews] Maritime communications need more and more bandwidth...

For major commercial ship management companies such as Nordic Maritime Singapore Pte. Ltd., satellite communications are a necessity, especially as the demand for bandwidth expands rapidly to support business operations, crew morale initiatives, and regulatory reporting activities. Nordic Maritime Singapore recently selected the TracPhone ® V7 with mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service from KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) to support expanded email, Internet, and telephone use onboard while decreasing each vessel’s monthly communications costs.

At 27-inches (69 cm) high and 26-inches (66 cm) in diameter, weighing 60 lbs. (27 kg), the TracPhone V7 is 85 percent smaller and 75 percent lighter than standard 1.2 meter VSAT systems. Hardware this light and compact is important for commercial vessels, since installation downtime and space onboard often come at a premium. In addition, the mini-VSAT Broadband network was designed from the ground up to be the first next-generation maritime satellite communications solution. The global spread spectrum satellite network, built with ViaSat’s patented ArcLight® technology, offers more affordable airtime, voice service and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (ship to shore) and 2 Mbps (shore to ship). More than 1,000 TracPhone V7 systems have been shipped in the three years since the product’s introduction, making the mini-VSAT Broadband network the fastest growing maritime VSAT solution. The company recently expanded its product offering with the new TracPhone V3, the world’s smallest maritime VSAT system at only 14.5 inches in diameter.