Astrium renews satellite capacity agreement with Intelsat

Astrium Services and Intelsat S.A. have renewed a multi-year agreement for C-band satellite capacity used by Astrium's customers in the business and maritime VSAT sectors.

Intelsat will draw C-band capacity from its Intelsat 907 satellite to ensure data connectivity and voice communication for passengers and operational purposes. This satellite capacity will be used by Astrium's new Business Communications unit to deliver high bandwidth to C-band customized VSAT users, as well as providing satellite broadband and expanded capabilities to customers in the cruise, ferry, and offshore markets.

The renewed capacity allows maritime customers to keep on integrating new services aboard their vessels and improve the efficiency of their operations through the addition of new technology. It will also allow cruise and ferry operators to offer Wi-Fi connectivity throughout their vessel for the simultaneous use of multiple passengers.

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• KVH reaches 3000 total TracPhone terminals for mini-VSAT Broadband network

MTN signs new VSAT service contracts with luxury cruise operators

Windstar Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, and The World have turned to MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) for a wide variety of VSAT services that will be deployed aboard their cruise ships.

The three luxury cruise operators entered new contracts with MTN that called for voice, data, Internet, news, entertainment, and financial services for cruise ship passengers in addition to the usual VSAT coverage and services.

MTN services are expected to improve overall business operations, make sure passengers are satisfied, and provide the crew with welfare initiatives.

MTN did not disclose the financial details of its new VSAT contracts with Windstar Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, and The World.

Astrium Services widens maritime VSAT bandwidth, services, coverage

Astrium Services made it known that the major extensions to their worldwide VSAT satellite communications services have been completed. The Company can now provide greater bandwidth, more services, and the broadest commercially-available global coverage through a larger number of small maritime VSAT antenna.

Back in September 2012, Astrium Services announced that it has improved the coverage and service of its Pharostar, Sealink, and Wavecall brands. The three Astrium maritime VSAT services use iDirect technology to meet the maritime market's need for high-performance broadband connectivity.

Astrium had boosted data throughput speeds for both standardized VSAT systems and the Sealink custom solutions. Standard very small aperture terminals can reach 3 Mbps while Sealink solutions can hit up to 10 Mbps. This means faster data transfers and more cost-efficient connections for maritime vessels who use Astrium services.

The improved speeds of Astrium VSAT services will be able to provide fast and always-on connectivity to maritime applications such as Internet from satellite access, email, voice calls, fax and SMS, database backup, video and file transfer protocol for business and crew communications.

In addition, Astrium has completed its geographical coverage extensions over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in October 2012. The Company expects to extend its services to the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean before the year ends. Astrium VSAT service customers will automatically receive coverage in the new areas. 

The Astrium services can also be combined with both Ku-band and complimentary MSS connectivity, allowing the maritime vessel to stay connected even outside VSAT coverage zones. Another optional is the Vizada XChange control platform, which can enhance the VSAT extension through its remote fleet management services.

CA Clase debuts new KVH V11 mini-VSAT

CA Clase (UK) Ltd recently launched the TracPhone V11, the latest dual-mode C-band/Ku-band very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite communications system from KVH

The V11 is a compact 1m satellite antenna that provides high-capacity offshore connectivity anywhere in the world save the polar regions. The unit is smaller and/or lighter than similarly-sized Ku-band maritime VSAT systems. It is also 85% smaller and lighter than competing C-band SATCOM systems. 

KVH’s HD11 mechanism served as the basis for a unique 4-axis gyro stabilised pedestal that mounts the V11's finely-tuned carbon-fiber dish. The HD11-derived robotic drive gives a single V11 antenna greater reliability than multiple antenna systems.

The new KVH satellite communications system taps into a satellite broadband network of high-capacity Ku-band satellite transponders when traversing the world’s most populated areas. The V11 VSAT automatically switches to legacy C-band transponders if geography or weather disrupts the Ku-band. Transmissions on both bands are channeled through a military-grade modem to ensure that on-board applications run smoothly

CA Clase is the biggest marine electronics distributor in the UK's commercial and leisure marine markets.

It is a licensed distributor of KVH's world-leading on-board satellite communications systems, which now includes and features the brand new V11 dual-band mini-VSAT system.

Inmarsat: Maritime satphone customers okay with satphone service price hike

Inmarsat may have raised prices on handheld satellite telephone services, but its customers reportedly remain loyal and its maritime VSAT rivals were supposedly mistaken about the effect of its new pricing policy.

The London-based satcom company reported that it currently controls a 10 percent share of the handheld satphone market. 65,000 customers are active Inmarsat subscribers.

Rival mobile satcom service providers Iridium Communications and KVH Industries have alleged that Inmarsat is losing customers because of price hikes and the failure of a new Inmarsat L- and Ku-band product to win market favor. But Inmarsat declared that its decision to raise prices on certain services did not have any negative impact on its core maritime customer base.

In the last few years, Inmarsat has broadened its business scope in reaction to two separate threats. The first threat were the satellite telephone handsets produced by Iridium, Globalstar, and Thuraya, which took land-mobile communications business away from Inmarsat.

Inmarsat counterattacked with the introduction of its IsatPhone Pro in 2010. IsatPhone Pro was a lower-cost alternative to competing satphones, and Inmarsat intended to take a 10 percent share of the satphone market with it.

In an Aug. 3 conference call, Inmarsat Chief Executive Rupert Pearce said that the company's 10 percent goal had been reached with the sale and activation of 65,000 IsatPhone Pro handsets. “We have successfully reinserted ourselves into the satellite-phone sector,” Pearce said.

The second threat was directed at Inmarsat’s key maritime market. Iridium and other companies were selling Ku-band VSATs that offer far higher throughput than Inmarsat’s L-band satellite network, for lower per-megabit cost.

Inmarsat initially responded with its $1.2 billion, three-satellite Global Xpress program. The company then introduced its Xpress Link dual package to entice customers to subscribe to Inmarsat while waiting for Global Xpress.

In mid-2011, Inmarsat purchased maritime VSAT provider ShipEquip. It combined a ShipEquip Ku-band VSAT antenna with a separate, smaller antenna for Inmarsat’s Fleet Broadband L-band maritime service to create the Xpress Link package.

Customers who purchased Xpress Link will get Global Xpress hardware once the latter system is operational. Inmarsat also increased the prices of earlier-generation Inmarsat B and Fleet products to encourage customers to migrate to Xpress Link.

Inmarsat also modified its Fleet Broadband pricing policy so that customers will pay a fee for Fleet Broadband even if they never use it.The new pricing aimed to discourage ship owners from using the Inmarsat product as a rarely-used emergency backup to a VSAT antenna produced by a rival company.

Iridium and KVH sought to turn Inmarsat's new pricing policy against it. Iridium Chief Executive Matt Desch cited Inmarsat as one the main reasons Iridium’s maritime VSAT business is growing. “Inmarsat’s helping a lot with their price changes,” Mr. Desch said in an Aug. 2 conference call, claiming that their rival company was “competing with their customers and a little confusion as to their strategy.”

Similarly, KVH Industries claimed Inmarsat’s Xpress Link service has failed to challenge KVH’s TracPhone V-series of Ku-band antenna. KVH reportedly shipped over 2,500 maritime VSAT systems. Later in 2012, it plans to offer a new C-band product with a 90-kilogram antenna with dual Ku-/C-band links and a global reach.

In comparison, Inmarsat’s Xpress Link is comprised of a 1.7-meter-diameter global VSAT Ku-band antenna that weighs twice that of the planned KVH product. And that's not including the 60-centimeter Fleet Broadband antenna. Or the refrigerator-sized assembly that both antenna are attached to.

KVH Chief Executive Martin Kits van Heyningen opined that Inmarsat's Xpress Link was “not an elegant solution.” He also claimed “that doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of traction in the market right now.”

Mr. Pearce rejected both assessments by Inmarsat's rivals. “We are not seeing a material erosion of any kind in the maritime market,” Pearce declared in the Aug. 3 conference call. He pointed out that more than 30,000 Fleet Broadband terminals had been installed by now. Those terminals included the nearly 2,300 units installed during April, May, and June. “The VSAT incursion,” he dismissed, “which was never particularly material, has slowed considerably.”

Mr. Pearce also made an issue of how KVH’s C-band product would encounter regulatory issues when used in certain regions less than 200 nautical miles from shore. Inmarsat spokesman Christopher McLaughlin expanded on Mr. Pearce's declaration by explaining that terrestrial wireless operators in certain regions generate interference over the C-band.

Inmarsat installing XpressLink VSAT-wireless on MISC Berhad tankers

Maritime communications provider Inmarsat reported that it will be providing its XpressLink wireless/satellite communications solution to 46 chemical and LNG tankers operated by Malaysian shipping conglomerate MISC Berhad, with an option to provide additional bandwidth in the future.

Inmarsat's XpressLink maritime communications solution combines high-bandwidth Ku-band VSAT satellite communications and versatile FleetBroadband wireless communications. The integrated satcom/wireless package ensures seamless communications and unlimited data availability between ship and shore anytime and anywhere in the world.

In addition, the XpressLink solution's dual communications systems ensure excellent redundancy in any situation. XpressLink users can expect 99.9 percent uptime compared to standalone VSAT or wireless communications systems.

MISC Berhad further signed up for an option to double its available bandwidth at a pre-determined monthly rate. The Malaysian company expects its bandwidth usage to increase in the future, and it intends to take advantage of Inmarsat's Global Xpress constellation when the latter activates in 2014.

"It is important for us to have ample bandwidth to manage our ship and shore operational systems and meet the communication needs of our seafarers at sea," said Captain S Rajalingam, Vice President Fleet Management System at MISC Berhad. "During our sea trials, we compared XpressLink with a number of competitive offerings and XpressLink impressed us with its performance."

Captain Rajalingam stated that "Inmarsat XpressLink offered the best value proposition delivering reliable, unlimited data usage on both the VSAT and FleetBroadband services."

"Inmarsat already has a strong relationship with MISC Berhad," Frank Coles, President of Inmarsat Maritime, commented, "and this latest endorsement in the form of a new commitment for XpressLink is very gratifying."

KVH picks MVS Group as mini-VSAT service provider

KVH Industries, Inc. recently agreed to a service provider agreement with mobile satellite service distributor MVS Group.

MVS will be allowed to offer KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband service and TracPhone V-series satellite communications systems to MVS' global customer base. By bundling KVH’s service within MVS' billing and airtime management system and full suite of value-added services, MVS will be able to provide one-stop shopping services for its global customer base.

Brent Bruun, senior vice president of global sales and business development for KVH, expressed glowing admiration for KVH's newest service provider. “The MVS Group is a market leader that has won a solid following of loyal customers throughout the world," he noted, "By providing outstanding customer support and offering satellite services enhanced with its comprehensive, value-added services.”

VP Bruun expressed delight on behalf of KVH “to enter into this cooperation to offer [MVH's] customers next-generation VSAT services delivered by our mini-VSAT Broadband network and our award-winning TracPhone V-series product line.”

Founded in 1995, the MVS Group is dedicated to providing mobile applications access to L-band MSS services to its customers wherever they are. The company's excellent support, high-quality billing systems, and full range of value-added services made it a leader in the mobile satellite communications market. MVS Group is now the third largest Inmarsat Distribution Partner in the world. It is also a global Service Provider for Iridium. With corporate headquarters in the United States, and regional offices in Cyprus, Russia, and the Netherlands, MVS Group closely cooperate with their customers to realize business objectives through efficent use of satellite communications services.

On MVS Group's part, Deborah Deffaa, executive director of the MVS, explained that “Broadband connectivity offshore is becoming an important requirement in the commercial maritime industry.” According to her, MVS's customers are employing new applications to save fuel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance effiency, and boost crew morale. These applications need faster and cheaper satellite communications service for maximum efficency.

"KVH has developed a remarkable new maritime broadband network," Director Deffaa observed, "That takes advantage of advanced, spread spectrum technology to dramatically reduce the size and cost of the antennas needed to receive the service onboard the vessels." KVH's advanced systems make it "easier than ever before to deploy affordable broadband service at sea.”

KVH designs are considered to be the fastest-growing and most widely-used maritime VSAT solution in the world. More than 2,000 Mini-VSAT Broadband system terminals have been sold.

The KVH network employs ArcLight spread spectrum technology. Created by KVH’s technology partner, ViaSat, Inc. with a specific eye for mobile use, ArcLight possesses a unique and desirable combination of fast speed, low latency, efficient reuse of satellite channels, and ability to support very small antennas that provide reliable service even in inclement weather.

Maritime vessels equipped with mini-VSAT Broadband service have access to some of the highest data rates available today. Download speeds can go as fast as 4 Mbps while upload speeds can hit 1 Mbps. The KVH satellite broadband service also provides Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications.

KVH manufactures several onboard antennas for its mini-VSAT Broadband network. Its 24" diameter TracPhone V7 is an award-winning and highly popular option, while the 14.5" diameter TracPhone V3 is the world’s most affordable and compact maritime VSAT antenna. In addition, KVH will soon release the new dual-mode TracPhone V11, with the ability to accept both C and Ku-band satellite signals from KVH’s global network, giving the V11 95% coverage of the globe

Transocean extends RigNet VSAT contract for North Sea rigs

RigNet will continue providing two Transocean offshore drilling rigs in the North Sea with managed communication for another two years.

Transocean is the world's largest offshore drilling company. Its Barents and Spitsbergen rigs are world-class semi-submersible offshore drilling rigs that operate in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

Like other members of the oil and gas community, the Transocean rigs rely upon a high-performance and secure network that ensures offshore and onshore communications, as well as access to business-critical IT applications.

To that end, Transocean extended their contract with RigNet. The managed remote communications company will provide a fully-managed end-to-end IP network solution that ensure last-mile connectivity through maritime VSAT technology.

RigNet's solution includes VoIP, enterprise data and Internet access services. Riverbed Steelhead appliances will power a WAN optimization service that will improve end user experience. Rignet's Network Operations Center will also provide 24/7 network monitoring and support, and it can also dispatch local field technician support if needs necessitate it.

By increasing the levels of standardization and innovation, RigNet's managed solution will allow the Transocean rigs to gain more from their network services.

Øyvind Folge, RigNet's Area Manager for the Nordic Region and Continental Europe, announced it a pleasure for RigNet to continue providing service to Transocean's important semi-submersible North Sea rigs.

RigNet provides managed remote communications, networks and collaborative applications worldwide. Specializing in the oil and gas industry customers, it serves offshore and onshore drilling rigs, energy production facilities, and energy maritime with distinction.