The new coverage area brings affordable satellite communications to a region where secure real-time communications are a necessity, via KVH’s rugged TracPhone® V7 hardware. In addition to providing service to the KVH mini-VSAT maritime system, this expansion also extends the ViaSat Yonders mobile network for in-flight broadband to business and commercial aircraft. The new coverage area is the latest milestone in the KVH and ViaSat [Nasdaq: VSAT] joint effort to provide affordable mobile Ku-band broadband connections worldwide and follows the recent rollout of service to the northern Pacific Ocean.
“The addition of mini-VSAT Broadband coverage for the Persian Gulf enables us to provide more affordable broadband Internet for critical commercial and government maritime operations as well as leisure vessels in the region,” explains Brent Bruun, KVH’s vice president of sales and business development. “Ship operators are looking for cost effectiveness in an increasingly competitive market, and the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service offer lower hardware, installation, and airtime costs than competing services in the Persian Gulf. In most cases, we can dramatically reduce a fleet’s monthly airtime expenses.”
The mini-VSAT Broadband service, along with the KVH TracPhone V7 antenna, comprise the first end-to-end 24-inch VSAT hardware, service, and support package available for maritime communications and offers Voice over IP phone service and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates. The compact TracPhone V7, which is 75 percent lighter and 85 percent smaller by volume than traditional 1-meter VSAT antennas, brings a blend of the economy and speed of VSAT communications with lower costs and easier installation, making the system exceptionally well suited for commercial oil and gas, shipping, and government vessels.