This also extended the company’s market share lead in maritime VSAT service. KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband service, which has steadily grown in both geographic coverage and network capacity to become the world’s largest Ku-band maritime VSAT network, KVH claimed.
In 2013, the network delivered 370 terabytes of data and 23 mill voice minutes to every type of vessel, including tankers.
“KVH has a unique approach in the satellite communications industry because we offer a true end-to-end solution,” explained Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s CEO. “We not only design and manufacture our own antenna hardware, we also operate the satellite network, manage the airtime service and provide around-the-clock global support. The single-source approach we offer is invaluable when combined with the performance of our antenna systems and the reliability of our network.”
The mini-VSAT Broadband network’s growth has been driven in part by the increasing demand for broadband on commercial vessels, where more and more operational procedures require an Internet connection—whether it is to comply with maritime regulations, maintain communications with fleet headquarters, remotely monitor vessel systems, or access weather and navigational information.
Seafarers also rely on Internet access and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to surf the web and stay in touch with friends and family on land.
KVH claimed that it more than doubled the capacity of the mini-VSAT Broadband network last year by deploying Variable Coding, Spreading, and Modulation (VCSM) technology provided by ViaSat, which enables the network to handle transmissions more efficiently and increases the amount of data that can be carried over the network.