The mini-VSAT Broadband service is fast, "always on", and available in a variety of pricing packages that offer significant cost savings for heavy data users when compared with other traditional data solutions available for commercial and leisure vessels.

To support this service, KVH, under a joint development agreement with ViaSat, developed the TracPhone V7 two-way broadband satellite terminal. The system combines KVH's market leading antenna technology with ViaSat's novel ArcLight spread spectrum mobile broadband technology. KVH created the 24" diameter antenna, the smallest stabilized satellite antenna available for providing broadband data connections to vessels.

A breakthrough in antenna design, the TracPhone V7 is as much as 65% smaller and 40% lighter than Inmarsat Fleet F77 antennas, and 85% smaller and 75% lighter than 1-meter maritime VSAT antennas. ViaSat developed a new maritime version of its ArcLight spread spectrum modem currently used on business jets and by the military. The two companies jointly integrated these key technologies to enable the TracPhone V7 two-way broadband satellite terminal.

"This is what broadband at sea was meant to be," explained Martin Kits van Heyningen, president and chief executive officer of KVH Industries. "In order to create a 'cable modem' experience at sea, we developed a 24" diameter, rugged antenna and integrated below-decks system that is well-suited for maritime markets and utilizes SES AMERICOM 's satellite network.

This combination allows us to provide broadband services to commercial, government, and leisure vessels that previously were unable to support high data rates due to their inability to accommodate large, 1-meter antennas.

The seamless combination of TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service eliminates installation issues related to those larger antennas while reducing the cost and significantly improving the performance. Mariners will now be able to rely on a fully integrated solution that creates reliable broadband links for commercial quality communications that support critical needs like ship operations, business connections, and crew morale."

The TracPhone V7 hardware and the mini-VSAT Broadband service represent the first end-to-end package of hardware, service, and support available for maritime communications. The smaller antenna will save vessel owners tens of thousands of dollars in installation costs that often must be invested to reinforce superstructures and build custom platforms to hold the larger 250-400 lbs antennas currently needed to receive and transmit maritime broadband signals.

"KVH and ViaSat are demonstrating market and technical leadership with their development of the TracPhone V7 terminal, the critical component that underpins this high-speed service for vessels as small as 50 feet in length. Enabled by ViaSat's ArcLight spread spectrum satellite networking technology, the mini-VSAT Broadband service fits into SES' strategy to identify new uses for Ku-band fixed satellite bandwidth," added Brent Bruun, SES AMERICOM's senior vice president of strategic initiatives.

KVH will serve as the sole point of contact for hardware and airtime sales, activations, billing, and technical support, eliminating the issues created when relying on multiple vendors and service providers. Available starting in September 2007, the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service will initially offer coverage of North and Central America along with the entire Caribbean. Later in the fall of 2007, coverage is scheduled to expand to include the North Atlantic shipping routes and all of Europe.

Related Links
KVH Industries
VSAT News - Suppliers, Technology And Applications

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