Voice Over Internet Protocol News

KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), announced today that it is offering Videotel’s new safety and training video about the Zika virus free to all mariners worldwide. The goal of the program is to increase awareness  of the vitally important prevention measures that can keep seafarers and their colleagues and families safe. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a public health emergency earlier this year. Given the global nature of the maritime industry, it is imperative that seafarers take precautions to prevent further spread of the disease. The prevalence of the Zika virus in such areas as Brazil has heightened concerns with the approaching Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month.

KVH Industries, Inc. expanded the capacity of its mini-VSAT Broadband network with two upgrades recently, supporting growing customer demand for broadband at sea. One expansion added a new satellite beam that doubled the mini-VSAT Broadband network capacity in the North Atlantic Ocean region, including Canada’s Hudson Bay. The second expansion added a new beam across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to add 30 percent more capacity across areas such as the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

KVH Industries, Inc., (KVHI) has rolled out a new dedicated voice configuration for its mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) global maritime satellite network. The network's Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is now delivered on a prioritized and protected data stream, separate from the network's overall broadband data traffic. VoIP service is also prioritized onboard the vessel for quality VoIP service even during times of heaviest broadband data use. By prioritizing phone service…

The ongoing maritime VSAT installations are part of KVH’s 10-year contract with the U.S. KVH Industries, Inc., said it has surpassed the 100-vessel mark in its 10-year contract to supply the next-generation satellite communications solution for the U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet of small cutters. To date, KVH’s TracPhone V7  systems have been deployed on 105 USCG vessels across eight different classes of cutters, and KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband service has provided 29.2 terabytes of data and more than 835,000 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) minutes.

Hermes Datacommunications is now providing VSAT services in Yangon, Myanmar for one of the world’s leading Oilfield Service Groups. Hermes Datacomms has installed a stabilised antenna at the customer’s worksite, an offshore rig, and linked it back to Yatanarpon Teleport in Yangon, where the customer has telephone and internet access. The service makes use of Comtech “ACM” technology to provide robust and efficient service within the local tropical climate. The service is monitored 24/7 from Hermes global NOC, and local support and site attendance is provided by Hermes’ service partner in Yangon. "Myanmar holds very exciting opportunities for the oil and gas telecommunications sector," said Mohd Faizal Zainal Amri, General Manager, Hermes Malaysia.

Intellian has announced a new addition to its range of VSAT communications antennas, the v60G. Designed for recreational, smaller commercial and oil and gas vessels, or for use in space-constrained installations, the v60G, a powerful redesign of the popular v60, provides exceptional performance, enhanced remote monitoring and control, reduced cabling, and unlimited azimuth. The new v60G provides seamless, uninterrupted broadband connectivity for worldwide on-demand communications, is compatible with a comprehensive list of service providers and ensures professional mariners and yacht owners reliable, unlimited connectivity at sea. The three-axis v60G has unlimited azimuth, eliminating cable wrap and the lengthy loss of signal connection as the system unwinds.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has been equipped with MTN Satellite Communications’ (MTN) state-of-the-art VSAT satellite communications system. The 1,184-ft, 225,282-gross ton Oasis of the Seas carries up to 5,400 passengers and a crew of more than 2,000. The satellite communication requirements for such a massive ship presented special challenges, according to MTN. “The communications suite is a critical component for operating the ship and its passenger services,” said Max Schmidt, vice president of information technology, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “For the inaugural voyage of Oasis of the Seas, MTN supplied the highest bandwidth ever used on a single ship in the history of the cruise industry,” said Brent Horwitz, senior vice president of MTN.

CapRock Communications announced a three-year contract with Gulf Offshore – a wholly owned subsidiary of GulfMark Offshore Inc. – to deploy its broadband maritime service, SeaAccess Communications, onboard its fleet operating in the North Sea and along the coast of Africa. SeaAccess’ VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) services will enable GulfMark to extend its corporate IT network and applications to its vessels and provide onboard crew morale services. The GulfMark Group operates significant fleets in the North Sea, Southeast Asia and the Americas. Having evolved into a global marine transportation provider focused on the continuous development of its technologically advanced fleet, deploying the always-on VSAT service is a natural extension of its mission.

General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a task order to modernize the telephone switch systems for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.; Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.; and Naval Station Mayport, Fla. The award, from the U.S. Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), is valued at $10m. Work is expected to be completed in early 2009. Under the task order, General Dynamics will upgrade the existing switch systems with the latest Approved Products List (APL)-certified software and replace non-supportable elements within the voice network. General Dynamics will also install Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) for 5,000 users in the Jacksonville area.

Marlink a supplier of integrated satellite communications equipment and network services previewed VSAT@SEA, the company's a new line of global maritime broadband satellite services enabling "always-on” at sea connectivity at a fixed monthly rate. Marlink's VSAT@SEA will feature three standard service configurations that include a minimum guaranteed committed information rate for IP-based communications providing resource-efficient means for conducting ship's business and enabling free Internet access and calling for crew members and passengers. Option 1 will provide vessels with two Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone lines coupled with a guaranteed 32kbps committed information rate for IP-based communications at sea.

In 1768 British-born explorer Lt. James Cook and his crew set sail on the HM Bark Endeavour on one of the most significant maritime voyages ever. After observing the transit of Venus across the sun in the Pacific, they headed south-west to New Zealand, traveling up the east coast of Australia, then on to the Dutch East Indies (Jakarta and Indonesia). Contrary to popular belief, Cook didn't discover Australia — he wasn't even the first European to arrive there. What's most remarkable about his journey was his use of cutting-edge 18th century scientific techniques to chart a substantial part of the coastline and fix the continent. On this voyage Cook became the first to calculate his longitudinal position with accuracy…