Published:
KVH Begins Rollout of Global Ku-band mini-VSAT Broadband Satellite Communications Network
MIDDLETOWN, R.I., July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to offer
faster, more affordable broadband connections to a growing market of leisure,
commercial, and government vessels worldwide, KVH Industries, Inc.,
(Nasdaq: KVHI) today announced a new agreement with ViaSat, Inc.,
(Nasdaq: VSAT) to begin the global rollout of the popular mini-VSAT
Broadband(sm) satellite communications service. Together with the compact
24-inch KVH TracPhone(R) V7 antenna, the mini-VSAT Broadband service is
already offering regional Voice over IP telephone service and Internet access
as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates to
mariners throughoutNorth America, theCaribbean, the North Atlantic, and
Europe.
Under this agreement, KVH and ViaSat are planning to roll out an exclusive
global network offering access to KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband service for
maritime use with airtime revenue to be shared between the two companies. As
part of the coverage expansion, KVH has agreed to acquire satellite capacity
from Ku-band satellite operators as well as purchase three new regional
satellite hubs from ViaSat. These hubs will use ViaSat's ArcLight(R) spread
spectrum mobile broadband technology and be operated by ViaSat. As the rollout
continues, either KVH or ViaSat will work to establish additional regional
hubs and satellite capacity. Over the course of the 10-year agreement, KVH and
ViaSat also expect to implement future enhancements to the mini-VSAT Broadband
spread spectrum maritime services and related products.
"Expanding our mini-VSAT Broadband service to provide seamless global
coverage of maritime broadband communications is one of our top strategic
priorities," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer.
"Our new service offers customers predictable fixed airtime rates that are
significantly less expensive and much faster than alternative maritime
communications solutions. We feel the lower airtime rates combined with
antennas that are 85% smaller and significantly less costly than traditional
VSAT products will help the market grow beyond the small number of very large
vessels currently using maritime broadband services. Under the terms of our
revenue sharing arrangement with ViaSat, this expansion positions KVH to earn
revenue not only from the maritime use of the service but also from future
aeronautical applications that roam throughout our network."
The planned service expansion is coming at an opportune time. Broadband at
sea is recognized in the commercial maritime industry as an essential
operational capability through which information on weather or currents can
enable captains to make routing decisions that save time and precious fuel,
remote monitoring of engine performance can trigger maintenance that might
prevent the need for an expensive repair, and increased security requires
significantly greater exchanges of cargo, vessel, and crew data between port
authorities and the vessel. In addition, competition for qualified crew
members is creating significant new requirements for providing telephone,
e-mail, and Internet access to help improve crew morale and reduce expensive
turnover.
"Enabled by our powerful ArcLight spread spectrum satellite networking
technology, the mini-VSAT Broadband service extends the capabilities and
availability of mobile broadband connections via Ku-band satellites," said
Brandon Nixon, ViaSat's senior vice president. "Our collaboration with KVH
over the last two years has allowed our two companies to create a unique
offering for the maritime industry, one that changes the equation in terms of
what people can expect in terms of both performance and costs. The success of
the mini-VSAT Broadband service and TracPhone V7 to date clearly reflects the
demand for affordable mobile Internet connections at sea, and we look forward
to expanding this service into new regions around the globe."
Commenting on the benefits available thanks to this combination of product
and service, Ian Palmer, KVH's executive vice president of satellite sales,
remarked, "The TracPhone V7 hardware and the mini-VSAT Broadband service
represent the first end-to-end VSAT hardware, service, and support package
available for maritime communications. We're able to offer a 'cable
modem-like' experience at sea and provide broadband services to a wide range
of commercial and government vessels, including many that previously were
unable to support broadband at sea. With the TracPhone V7 and our planned
expansion of mini-VSAT Broadband service, KVH will offer leisure, commercial,
and government vessels around the globe a rugged, powerful satellite
communications technology that brings significant advantages over traditional
VSAT in size, data speed, and airtime costs while still being compact and
practical enough for smaller vessels."
Visit http://www.minivsat.com for additional details regarding the
TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service.
Note to editors: High-resolution photos of the TracPhone V7 are available
at http://press.kvh.com for download and editorial use.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
Middletown, RI-based KVH Industries, Inc., and its wholly owned
subsidiary, KVH Europe A/S are leading providers of in-motion satellite TV and
communication systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than
150,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on vessels, vehicles, and
aircraft. KVH's mission is to connect mobile customers around the globe with
the same digital television entertainment, communications, and Internet
services that they enjoy in their home and offices.
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, the service
rollout plans, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of
KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product development;
and customer demand, preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual
results could differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences
include, among others, uncertainty about the scope of customer demand; the
potential inability to secure adequate Ku-band satellite capacity or the
licenses necessary for the network; risks associated with the delivery or
performance of critical hardware; future decisions about the expected
profitability of additional satellite regions; changes in the costs and
capabilities of competing offerings; and those other risk factors discussed in
KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any
obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information
or developments.
KVH and TracPhone are registered trademarks of KVH Industries. "mini-VSAT
Broadband" is a service mark of KVH Industries. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective companies.
SOURCE KVH Industries, Inc.
Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze,
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