KVH Boosts Mini-VSAT Capacity in S. America

Capacity expansions address the rising satellite communications demands of the Brazilian offshore oil and gas industry, inland waterway shipping and other markets throughout South America

KVH Industries, Inc. announced major capacity increases for its mini-VSAT Broadband network at the OilComm conference in Houston today. The capacity upgrades on key South American beams have resulted in as much as three times the forward and return link capacity for KVH’s maritime VSAT customers in the area.

One upgrade has boosted coverage and performance for several key markets in Brazil: the oil and gas industry, whose major production and exploration activities are centered offshore; tugboat and push boat traffic along the Amazon River, transporting everything from oil barges to fish, cattle, and more; and the growing international tourism industry along the Amazon River. An additional upgrade has boosted coverage and performance for markets in other parts of South America, including: the salmon fishing industry in southern Chile; global merchant vessels in major ports on the Pacific coast of South America; and the mining industry throughout the continent.

“Increased merchant activity in South America is dependent on satellite communications to optimize operational efficiency and also help vessels increase their safety and security by means of connectivity from remote locations,” said Brent Bruun, executive vice president of KVH’s Mobile Broadband Group. “With mini-VSAT Broadband coverage addressing offshore waters and major rivers inland, such as the Amazon and the Parana, vessels now have a safer, more secure way to transport people, equipment and finished goods within this large continent.”

The expansion of the mini-VSAT Broadband network in South America follows network upgrades in other parts of the globe and supports KVH’s recently introduced IP-MobileCast content delivery service. This multicasting service uses the mini-VSAT Broadband network already streaming into more than 4,000 onboard terminals worldwide to deliver a separate data stream of commercially licensed news, sports, entertainment, and training content – improving quality of life for crews aboard commercial vessels – as well as operational data such as electronic chart updates and weather information.

KVH has planned mini-VSAT Broadband network coverage expansion for Canada in the coming weeks.