Satellite Communications Solution News

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the commercially availability of its Iridium Certus 100 "midband" service for maritime, land mobile, IoT, aviation and government customers. Iridium Certus 100 provides a blend of capabilities for satellite connectivity, enabling small, low-profile antennas and battery-powered devices designed for maximum mobility, but with IP data speeds that efficiently support sending important pictures, emails and other vital information from remote places…

Hyundai Global Services (HGS) has signed a contract to deliver its Smart Ship and Satellite Communications package for up to 15 vessels for South Korean shipping company KSS Line.The Smart Ship and Satellite Communications package is a combination of the Integrated Smart Ship (ISS) solution – an IoT platform for ships, developed by HHI Group to support vessel operation and device optimization – supported by Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress and digital solution Fleet Connect. This achievement is a direct result of a collaboration between HGS…

Iridium Communications Inc. announced that seven additional service providers have signed agreements to provide the Iridium Certus service for maritime applications. Globecomm, Network Innovations, Pivotel, MVS USA, IEC-Telecom, MetOcean and Samsan Enterprise Company now further broaden the base of Iridium’s distribution for its next-generation L-band broadband service. These seven companies will play a critical role in delivering what will be the fastest and most competitive L-band satellite broadband solution to the maritime industry, enabling a truly global “connected ship” environment. This announcement comes shortly after Iridium became the second-ever recognized service provider for the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS)…

From humble beginnings KVH has evolved rapidly to become a central player in the maritime world’s global Big Data revolution. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News caught up with Martin Kits van Heyningen in Oslo for his take on KVH’s current position and future direction. “We certainly didn’t envision that we would be in the high-speed satellite broadband business when we started,” is how Kits van Heyningen, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board, KVH, succinctly summarizes the biggest difference between the company he founded in 1982 versus the one he leads today.

KVH Videotel has named Capt. Milind Karkhanis as sales director for the Middle East to develop business in this strategically important maritime location. Capt. Karkhanis has more than 40 years’ experience in the maritime industry, including 15 years at sea on tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships; on shore, he worked in Mumbai and Hong Kong in ship manning and operations roles. Capt. Karkhanis has recently relocated to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “I am looking forward…

KVH Industries, Inc. has launched a new all-inclusive Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) offering for the maritime industry, AgilePlans by KVH. For a single monthly fee, AgilePlans by KVH brings an advanced satellite communications solution onboard without a costly capital expenditure or long-term commitment. The subscription fee is as low as $499/month for a complete package including hardware, connectivity, installation at select ports, entertainment and training content and global support. The AgilePlans by KVH subscription model is designed to deliver everything a fleet needs for better communications and improved operational efficiency at sea.

KVH Industries, Inc. announced that Netherlands-based Vroon has extended its contract for KVH’s maritime satellite communications solution, choosing the mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network for connectivity services onboard more than 140 Vroon vessels. The multi-year contract also includes KVH’s IP-MobileCastTM service for news, sports, movie and TV delivery, as well as preventive maintenance checks to ensure peak performance on all fielded systems as part of the KVH OneCare program. The first installations of KVH’s 60 cm diameter TracPhone V7 systems onboard Vroon vessels took place in early 2011, after Vroon conducted a stringent selection process involving 22 different satellite communications providers. Today, more than 140 Vroon vessels employ the KVH mini-VSAT Broadband system onboard.

MSC Cruises, a privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa announced that it has worked together with Marlink – the pioneer of business critical communication solutions for customers operating in remote environments – to launch a next-generation connectivity for MSC Cruises’ fleet with multi-band VSAT services. Working with Marlink, MSC Cruises will provide dynamic bandwidth to its 12 existing ships as well as the next-generation ships currently under construction, including MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside. No matter the itinerary of the ships, the bandwidth will be able to accommodate seasonal fluctuations…

P&O Ferries and MTN Communications (MTN) announce the delivery of high-performance Internet connectivity and access to online content through the first Wi-Fi hot spot on the English Channel. This service is now live on the English Channel on ferries serving the P&O Ferries Dover-Calais route. These vessels are reportedly the first ferries in the world connected to the MTN Terrestrial Broadband Network (TBN), in addition to having back-up satellite connectivity, as many cruise ships do today.

KVH provides and Harvey Gulf employs possibly the most sophisticated on-board SATCOM and related service package on the water. That’s no accident. If quality service, high tech hardware and quality personnel are the common bonds shared by marine communications provider KVH and its customer Harvey Gulf International Marine, then the relationship is probably a match made in heaven. Harvey Gulf, already a long-time user of the KVH suite of services and equipment, is today converting every vessel in their rapidly expanding 60+ fleet to the latest and greatest equipment standard. From where they sit, that means KVH. For its part, the business relationship allows KVH to showcase to every other customer and potential user as to what is actually possible at sea in today’s environment.

To meet growing bandwidth usage and Internet demand onboard its tanker fleet, RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker GmbH & Co. KG, of Hamburg, Germany, an international shipping company known for managing sophisticated, innovative tankers, has chosen KVH Industries, Inc., for its mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications solution. Twelve oil and chemical tankers will be outfitted with KVH’s TracPhone V7-IP satellite antenna systems in the next month, with a potential for 16 additional container vessels to receive KVH systems.

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.

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…

To serve its growing commercial maritime customer base in the Asia-Pacific region, KVH Industries, Inc. said it has doubled the service delivered by the JCSAT-1B satellite, which is part of KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network. This additional capacity, available as of last month, will support mariners in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes some of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and is one of the fastest-growing areas in the world for maritime broadband demand. “The additional…

Harris CapRock Communications, a premier global provider of managed communication solutions for remote and harsh environments, has signed a five-year contract with Carnival Corporation to provide communications services onboard more than 100 cruise ships in its 10 cruise line brands. The dual-band satellite communications solution will enable the Carnival brands to reach dramatically improved bandwidth levels to meet the performance expectations of guests and crew onboard. “At Carnival, our most important goal is to give our guests a great experience.

DigiGone announced that its video communications system and software platform has been approved for use with Thuraya’s IP terminals. A mobile satellite services operator, Thuraya is actively rolling out the DigiGone satellite communications solution across their distribution channels in all vertical markets. Optimized for narrowband satellite channels, DigiGone offers high-quality encrypted video and audio conferencing, video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), IM Chat and file transfer using a small fraction of the bandwidth needed for other commercial video telecommunication solutions.

Globe Wireless, a  provider of communications, operational and IT solutions to the maritime industry, has announced Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi AS has selected the Dual Globe iFusion system as the communication solution for both SKS Tankers Holding AS and KGJS Cement Holding AS. The Dual Globe iFusion  solution provides full featured redundancy and reliability for vessels. The dual terminal FleetBroadband configuration allows one Globe iFusion  terminal to act as the primary communication system with the secondary Globe iFusion  terminal acting as a backup.

RedPort Global, providers of marine satellite data, voice routers and services, launch GPS tracking service with the RedPort Optimizer. When connected to a GPS-enabled satellite phone or terminal, Optimizer works as a GPS Satellite Tracker , and can transmit the device’s GPS location at user-defined intervals, working with select tracking services to let users view GPS locations online or input them directly into their existing tracking systems. “Reliable, affordable GPS vessel tracking is a critical part of any vessel operations – from the smallest boat to the largest ship,” said Dr.

Iridium Communications Inc. is providing vital satellite broadband communications connectivity for sailors competing in the prestigious international sailboat races of the IMOCA Championship. The Europa 'Warm Up' Race kicked off May 19 and runs through June 9, 2012. Twenty sailboats will be equipped with Iridium Pilot™ terminals, the new Iridium maritime broadband platform, as part of the telecommunications package provided by Geolink, a long-time Iridium partner and innovative race communications supplier. Relying on the world's only truly global satellite network, skippers and crews can access real-time weather reports, sailing conditions…

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) is providing vital satellite broadband communications connectivity for sailors competing in the prestigious international Sailboat Races of the IMOCA Championship. The Europa Warm'Up Race kicked off May 19 and runs through June 9, 2012. Twenty sailboats will be equipped with Iridium Pilot(TM) terminals, the new Iridium maritime broadband platform, as part of the telecommunications package provided by Geolink, a long-time Iridium partner and innovative race communications supplier. Relying on the world's only truly global satellite network, skippers and crews can access real-time weather reports…

Commercial ships are the most cost effective and fastest means of transporting goods globally but pirate activity is a significant threat that costs the world economy between $7 and $12 billion annually according to a recent estimate by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a coalition of 22 nations led by the United States, is now engaged in efforts to promote security and stability in response to the growing threat of piracy across approximately 2.5 million square miles of international waters in and around the Arabian Sea. However, executing effective strategies against piracy, terrorism…

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.

Thuraya announced the launch of the new Seagull 5000i solution in partnership with Addvalue Communications Pte Ltd., as part of its maritime communications portfolio. The specialised marine terminal is designed for small vessels or fishing boats and provides voice, data, SMS and fax services that are based exclusively over Thuraya’s satellite network. The innovative Seagull 5000i is a maritime satellite communication device that meets the needs of customers that require a high-quality, cost-effective satellite communications solution.