Maintaining a broadband Internet connection while at sea is increasingly possible. On December 21, 2009, KVH Industries announced that the FCC) has granted permanent "Earth Station onboard - Vessel" (ESV) license authority for KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications service.
This authority officially approves the spread spectrum mini-VSAT Broadband service and 24-inch diameter TracPhone V7 antenna as meeting the FCC's new regulations for broadband maritime services. Prior to receiving this permanent license, the KVH mini-VSAT Broadband service has operated in U.S. waters under an FCC Special Temporary Authority (STA) since September 2007, while also supporting mariners worldwide. This is the latest milestone in the KVH and ViaSat joint effort to provide affordable mobile broadband connectivity around the globe.
Through the use of ViaSat's ArcLight spread spectrum technology and its compact antenna design, KVH is able to offer higher bandwidth and lower costs through hardware that is 85% smaller and 50% less costly than previously available for maritime VSAT use. While the FCC jurisdiction applies only to U.S. flagged vessels and operations in U.S. territory, the FCC's approval serves as a major endorsement of the viability and reliability of KVH's global spread spectrum network for maritime operators worldwide.
Together, KVH and ViaSat are currently using seven secure earth stations around the globe, along with seven of the world's most powerful communications satellites, to offer voice service and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates to mariners, as well as network coverage for ViaSat's Yonder aeronautical mobile broadband service.
KVH's network is based on ViaSat's ArcLight Code Re-use Multiple Access (CRMA) spread spectrum technology, which significantly reduces contention issues, transmission delays, and shared transmission bandwidth compared to traditional Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technology that are relied upon by older maritime VSAT networks.
Traditional TDMA-based VSAT networks require large antennas of 1 meter or more in diameter to narrow their beamwidths and avoid interference into neighboring satellites, and in doing so, also limit transmissions to one antenna at a time. KVH's network spreads the signal over a wider bandwidth, thereby reducing interference issues, supporting multiple simultaneous users, allowing us to offer an antenna 75% lighter and 85% smaller by volume, and reducing costs as KVH uses the same transponder for inbound and outbound signals.
With inventions like this, one will be able to enjoy all of the information, communication, and entertainment that the Internet provides even out of sight of land.