KVH introduces TracPhone V30 marine VSAT antenna for affordable Internet at sea

KVH Industries, Inc., has introduced the TracPhone® V30, an ultra-compact Ku-band VSAT antenna designed to deliver data speeds as fast as 6 Mbps down/2 Mbps up for leisure and commercial boats wanting to experience the benefits of Internet at sea. 

Measuring just 37 cm (14.5 inches) diameter and weighing 10.6 kg (23.4 lbs), the TracPhone V30 is designed to provide ease of installation and retrofit with a single power-data coax cable, versus multiple cables, and to utilize DC power, a plus for small boats with a limited power supply.

KVH engineered the antenna with a modem in the dome to deliver outstanding reception with improved signal efficiency, as well as high-performance tracking and stabilization for fast boats and rough seas. A streamlined belowdecks unit, called the VSAT-Hub, provides state-of-the-art HTS modem connections, built-in Wi-Fi, data routing, firewall security, and a VoIP adapter for phone calls.

This combination of TracPhone V30’s small antenna size, easy installation, and fast data speed makes Internet connectivity, content streaming, and social media use possible on sailboats, center console boats, and recreational boats. In addition, the TracPhone V30 is well-suited to commercial vessels that don’t voyage globally, including fishing boats, tugboats, and offshore service vessels. For leisure and commercial vessels, the TracPhone V30 offers the advantages of advanced satcom technology as a replacement for legacy L-band systems that typically provide data speeds of only 432 Kbps.

Mark Woodhead, KVH executive vice president of mobile connectivity, says:

“Our new TracPhone V30 delivers fast data speeds in a compact unit and we anticipate it will disrupt the leisure and commercial markets by making VSAT at sea affordable like never before. Whether they are streaming content, checking email, using social media, or managing their business, both recreational boaters and small commercial vessel operators can count on reliable VSAT connectivity wherever they go.”

Although ultra-compact, the TracPhone V30 antenna has global reach via KVH’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM network, which provides global coverage from multi-layered high-throughput satellites (HTS) in the Intelsat FlexMaritime network with additional coverage from SKY Perfect JSAT.

With the TracPhone V30, KVH has added a fourth system to its award-winning VSAT product line, which features the 37 cm TracPhone V3-HTS, the 60 cm TracPhone V7-HTS, and the 1 meter TracPhone V11-HTS, providing maximum data speeds ranging from 6/2 Mbps down/up to 20/3 Mbps down/up.