MIDDLETOWN, RI – June 4, 2013 – KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) introduced an upgraded line of TracPhone® onboard terminals for its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service this morning at the Nor-Shipping international maritime show in Oslo, Norway. The TracPhone V3-IP, TracPhone V7-IP, and TracPhone V11-IP all feature KVH’s new Integrated CommBox Modem (ICM), which combines all of the necessary belowdecks equipment of a maritime VSAT/network management system – antenna control unit, CommBox™ Ship/Shore Network Manager, ArcLight® spread spectrum modem, VoIP, Ethernet switch, and Wi-Fi capabilities – into a single 2U enclosure. In addition to simplifying installation, the new ICM offers powerful network management tools for maritime IT managers and can receive multicast content such as charts, weather forecasts, news, sports, music, and movies from KVH’s new IP-MobileCast™ content delivery service, which was also introduced today and is expected to be available later this year.
“KVH is unique in the satellite communications market in that we not only operate our own network and provide airtime services, but we also manufacture our own equipment, enabling us to bring innovative hardware solutions to market in addition to competitive new airtime services,” commented Brent Bruun, Executive Vice President of KVH’s Mobile Broadband Group. “Our new ICM fully integrates a whole rack of discrete components common with other maritime VSAT systems into one module, which saves space, is easier to install, and is more reliable and easier to support than competing systems. It also features our CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager, which provides important tools that IT managers need to manage their onboard networks and bandwidth use, as well as the anticipated ability to receive content via our new IP-MobileCast service.”
The TracPhone V3-IP is the world’s smallest maritime VSAT terminal, featuring an antenna that is only 37 cm (14.5-inch) in diameter, with ship-to-shore speeds of 128 Kbps and shore-to-ship speeds of 2 Mbps. The TracPhone V7-IP is an enterprise-grade solution featuring an antenna that is approximately 60 cm (24-inch) in diameter, with ship-to-shore speeds of 1 Mbps and shore-to-ship speeds of 2 Mbps. Both the TracPhone V3-IP and the TracPhone V7-IP operate in the Ku-band coverage area of KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network, which is among the broadest in the maritime industry.
KVH’s new dual-mode TracPhone V11-IP utilizes mini-VSAT Broadband’s Ku-band coverage as well as the network’s global C-band coverage with ship-to-shore speeds of 1 Mbps and shore-to-ship speeds of 4 Mbps. It is the only maritime VSAT product with a 1-meter antenna that provides coverage matching global L-band services using geostationary satellites.
The ICM controls the one-to-one connectivity of the mini-VSAT Broadband service, including the fast, low latency data connections and the exceptionally high-quality VoIP service. It also provides onboard network management functionality that includes such services as e-mail management, transmission optimization, assured file delivery, the ability to set up separate networks for operations and crew, and the ability to manage crew use of the system with Internet café and crew calling cards. The ICM is also a key part of KVH’s strategy to add content delivery services to the mini-VSAT Broadband network, with its anticipated ability to receive, decode, and distribute multicast data including electronic charts, weather forecasts, training materials, newspapers, news and sports clips, music, and movies that KVH plans to distribute using its new IP-MobileCast service.
“Our new TracPhone V-IP series product line is one of four major 2013 initiatives designed to make our mini-VSAT Broadband network the maritime industry’s premier content delivery platform,” said Mr. Bruun. “Today, we also announced our new IP-MobileCast content delivery service for the mini-VSAT Broadband network. Earlier this year, we doubled our network capacity with the implementation of Variable Coding, Spreading, and Modulation (VCSM) technology, and we are planning another major capacity upgrade later this year to stay ahead of the demands of our growing customer base. Finally, we recently announced the acquisition of Headland Media, the industry’s leading provider of commercially-approved news, sports, and entertainment content and training videos, so we have both the delivery mechanism and much of the premium content our customers demand.”
Additional information about KVH’s new TracPhone V-IP series of terminals and the mini-VSAT Broadband network is available at www.minivsat.com/vip. Information about Headland Media news, sports, entertainment, and training content is available at www.headlandmedia.com.
KVH Industries is a leading manufacturer of solutions that provide global high-speed Internet, television and voice services via satellite to mobile users at sea, on land, and in the air. KVH’s Headland Media group is the maritime industry’s leading provider of rights-approved news, sports, music, and movies, as well as the Walport Training video series. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, India, and Japan.
