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Satnews Daily
April 30th, 2011

KVH... Authority Arrives In Time For First Shipments (SATCOM)


[SatNews] Two crucial developments have been completed for this Company's newest SATCOM product...

KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) announced two key developments for its new TracPhone® V3 satellite communications system and mini-VSAT Broadband network. The first shipments of the TracPhone V3, the smallest Ku-band maritime VSAT antenna in the world at just 14.5″ (37 cm) in diameter, left KVH’s factory yesterday and will arrive at its first owners’ vessels complete with commercial license authority from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The new license builds upon KVH’s existing Earth station onboard vessel or ESV license for the mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications service and KVH’s 24″ (60 cm) TracPhone V7 antenna. These developments represent the latest milestones in the joint effort of KVH and ViaSat, Inc., (Nasdaq: VSAT) to provide affordable mobile broadband connectivity to mariners around the globe.

KVH and ViaSat make this global service possible using ViaSat’s ArcLight® spread spectrum technology, which enables very small terminals to receive high-speed data. The small equipment is a valuable benefit to a wide variety of maritime industries because it is easy and inexpensive to install and activate. KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network is extremely attractive to operators in these industries because it is a unified global network. Plus, the power of ArcLight technology enables KVH to offer the most attractive airtime packages currently available, including simple, straightforward metered service at just $0.49 per minute for voice calls worldwide and $0.99 per megabyte at the fastest speeds available on the network.

The mini-VSAT Broadband network is 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 2 Mbps. KVH’s compact family of mini-VSAT Broadband-compatible TracPhone antennas are more affordable and faster and easier to install than competing solutions. 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 world’s fastest growing maritime VSAT solution. KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband customers include the U.S. Coast Guard and leading commercial shipping companies like Nordic Tankers, Mowinckel, and Vroon.