Onboard Satellite Communications News

KVH Industries, Inc. was chosen by BW, a worldwide maritime energy transportation company, as the satellite communications solution for its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fleet. BW’s vessels will use KVH’s advanced, dual-mode TracPhone V11-IP onboard satellite communications system and mini-VSAT Broadband service for the “always-on” broadband connectivity that is essential for today’s commercial maritime operations. BW recently completed field trials of the TracPhone V11-IP system…

In its latest initiative to advance the quality, speed, and affordability of broadband data connectivity at sea, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) introduces a new onboard terminal for its mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service, the TracPhone(R) V7-IP. Representing a new generation of enterprise-grade onboard satellite communications equipment, the TracPhone V7-IP features a robust, 3-axis, gyro-stabilized antenna and a completely integrated belowdecks unit that includes an ArcLight(R)…

MIDDLETOWN, RI – Maersk Tankers, a division of A.P. Moller Maersk AS, has chosen the CommBox™ Ship/Shore Network Manager from KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) to increase efficiency and lower communications costs aboard 70 vessels. This is in addition to 50 CommBox-equipped vessels that Maersk brought onboard with its acquisition of Broström tankers in 2010. Copenhagen, Denmark-based Maersk will utilize the CommBox network management solution onboard these 120 vessels for least cost routing and to coordinate file transfers, e-mail, and Internet access for both business and crew use.

Marlink has launched the Access Controller, a new cost-effective system which enables the seamless management of a ship's onboard satellite communications network. The compact and lightweight system can be installed on any vessel to make switching between VSAT, Iridium OpenPort or Inmarsat FleetBroadband systems extremely quick and easy, helping users to efficiently manage the costs of satellite communications at sea. "Bandwidth, coverage and costs vary from one satellite communications solution to another, which has led many ship operators to install more than one system onboard so that all of their requirements can be met. Our new Access Controller ensures that management of multiple systems is trouble-free.

Marlink has completed a new five-year agreement with Delphin Cruises of Hamburg, Germany, to provide complete onboard satellite communications for its luxury liner, the Delphin Renaissance. The agreement calls for Marlink, a company within Telenor Satellite Services formed to serve as the preferred interface between maritime customers and the satellite communications industry, to provide Sealink high-speed data service. Operating at speeds up to 128 kbps, the Sealink solution allows guests and crew to enjoy greater access to e-mail, fax services, and telephone service.

Inmarsat, the original mobile satcom provider for the maritime industry, has been riding the crest of a wave recently, with users at an all-time high, overall 99.9 per cent satellite reliability and the launch of its Fleet F77, Mobile ISDN and Mobile Packet Data services for the maritime community. Ruth Ling reports on what's new and what lies on the horizon. Twenty years ago, a revolution hit the maritime industry. Satellite communications became available to ships at sea. Back in 1982, when Inmarsat began offering onboard satellite communications, its first and only system was Inmarsat A, which offered voice, facsimile, telex and data services. After nine years of successful service and expansion into most maritime sectors, Inmarsat began offering Inmarsat C.