KVH Introduce New TracPhone Equipment

KVH's new maritime terminal features integrated CommBox Modem with built-in network management functionality.

As part of its commitment to bringing reliable, fast, affordable broadband connections to mariners, KVH Industries, Inc. has introduced the TracPhone® V3-IP terminal for its mini-VSAT Broadband service.

KVH point out that the world's smallest maritime VSAT antenna now comes with the smallest and most integrated belowdecks equipment – KVH's new Integrated CommBox Modem (ICM), a streamlined unit that includes an IP-enabled antenna control unit, built-in CommBox™ Ship/Shore Network Manager, and ArcLight® spread spectrum modem with IP voice capability, Ethernet switch, and Wi-Fi connectivity. All of the TracPhone V3-IP's belowdecks equipment is built in to a single 2U enclosure.

KVH say that their new TracPhone V3-IP costs less, is significantly easier to install, and provides greater reliability than competing solutions that combine discrete components from a number of different manufacturers. The system's completely integrated design offers a simple alternative to the complexity inherent in competing maritime VSAT systems, which typically require a local technician to configure a full rack of hardware from different third-party manufacturers of modems, antennas, controllers, switches, adapters, and servers. It also makes the advanced features of KVH's best-of-breed network management solution, the CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager, available to every TracPhone V3-IP customer without an additional hardware investment.

With a compact antenna dish that is just 37 cm (14.5") in diameter, the TracPhone V3-IP brings sophisticated satellite communications and network management capabilities to a wide array of vessels 9 m (30 feet) and larger.

"Introducing the TracPhone V3-IP is a significant development in our ongoing mission to deliver fast, affordable, reliable broadband connectivity to maritime customers," explains Brent Bruun, executive vice president of KVH's mobile broadband group. "The TracPhone V3-IP offers a complete end-to-end solution for managing both IT functions and communications on board a variety of maritime vessels. It delivers data at up to 2 Mbps over mini-VSAT Broadband, the world's leading maritime VSAT service. It's similar in size to competing L-band systems, but delivers data at a far lower cost, especially for vessels that consume a relatively low amount of data each month."