As the maritime industry continues to adjust to the challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that connectivity is more important than ever
KVH has seen increased demands for its high-speed VSAT connectivity from global ship operators who are dedicated to providing their vessels with support for operational efficiency.
Fast and reliable VSAT connectivity not only provides essential communications and operations functions, but it is actually the gateway to capturing the power of maritime IoT solutions. IoT allows machine-to-machine transfer of data from onboard sensors to shore, for monitoring, trouble-shooting, and remote expert involvement. Connectivity unlocks the power of real-time maritime IoT data, which in turn enables a competitive advantage by allowing for action during deep sea time.
1: Maritime equipment manufacturers can capture the power of maritime IoT with KVH Watch®, an all-inclusive, no commitment IoT Connectivity as a Service solution that delivers access to 24/7/365 machine-to-machine data delivery. Monitoring of remote equipment real-time is the missing piece for most equipment manufacturers to be able to realize a benefit. They need the ability to perform real-time remote interventions between vessels at sea and experts on shore, and this requires using high-throughput bandwidth and a satellite optimized video collaboration application designed for this purpose.
The focus on remote collaboration enables maritime equipment manufacturers to use their most experienced experts on shore to give real-time guidance to onboard crew for troubleshooting, repair, and identification of replacement parts that are needed, thereby avoiding costly service calls, minimizing delays in port, and making support more effective. Actions on course and speed, as well as adjustments and calibration of equipment, can also deliver optimized voyage planning and fuel savings.
“By using deep sea transit time, maritime equipment manufacturers can go beyond simply monitoring the performance of onboard equipment to take action and provide real-time support via video, voice, and text, even when the equipment is on a vessel in the middle of the ocean. KVH Watch® delivers high-speed dedicated IoT connectivity with an isolated antenna for optimal cybersecurity,” says Sven-Eric Brooks, KVH’s senior director for IoT business development.
Remote support at sea is particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic and for the future of the digital ship as maritime operators seek increased operating efficiencies by adopting a range of digital processes including cloud-based services, telemedicine, video conferencing, virtual payments, and electronic invoicing, according to industry experts. Current IoT solutions that utilize cellular connectivity fall short due to being out of range while at sea and unpredictably expensive when roaming. Solutions relying on L-band suffer from limited and expensive bandwidth; they cannot support high-speed bursts or video sessions at sea.
2: Ship managers and vessel operators can capture the power of maritime IoT by using a unique dual channel configuration ideal for IoT, found in KVH’s TracPhone V7-HTS and TracPhone V11-HTS systems. The dual channel configuration consists of an unlimited data channel for ongoing IoT monitoring and data transfer, and a high-speed data channel for applications requiring higher bandwidth like higher bursts of data for large file transmission, remote video chat, and tech support.
These HTS systems and the fast data speeds they enable – up to 20 Mbps down/3 Mbps up – are providing essential communications during COVID and KVH has seen increased bandwidth usage among vessels to support operational efficiency. With these systems, ship operators are able to utilize KVH’s Vessel Tracking Service, which delivers as much as 12 months of track and position vessel data at any time, with updates as often as every 90 seconds and available via any Internet-connected device. These IoT capabilities and tools have never been more important.
KVH has always been a leader in connectivity, and now is also a leader in IoT connectivity with an unparalleled range of options. To learn more:
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