KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) TracVision M1 satellite TV system received the National Marine Electronics Association’s (NMEA’s) “Industry Award” for best marine entertainment product. This marks the 12th consecutive year that KVH’s TracVision family of satellite TV systems has received this award, given by marine electronics experts to honor the products that offer the best value, performance, and customer satisfaction to boat owners. Weighing just 7.5 lbs., the in-motion TracVision M1 is the world’s smallest and lightest satellite TV system for boats. An all-in-one solution for DIRECTV on boats, it includes the compact antenna and exclusive 12V DIRECTV receiver, making installation and adding live satellite TV to even small boats simple. Once it’s on the boat, the TracVision M1 offers outstanding in-motion reception, tracking, and performance typically associated with larger antennas, while fitting the sleek exterior design of vessels as small as 20 feet. The TracVision M1’s small size, easy setup, Whisper Drive motor technology, and versatile mounting options mean that installation can be customized to meet the needs of just about any boater, on any vessel.
Additionally, KVH Industries, Inc. and On-Waves Ehf are partnering to make cell phone service at sea a reality for crew and passengers on vessels around the globe. Using KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network and TracPhone V7 satellite communications system along with the On-Waves maritime cell phone service, crew members, passengers, and onboard contractors can easily and affordably use their own cell phones to make and receive calls to and from anywhere in the world. Cell phones alone usually lose reception about 15 miles offshore, when vessels travel outside the range of land-based cell towers. On-Waves’ maritime GSM service works by allowing any crew member, passenger, or contractor to purchase a dedicated SIM card, pop it into their cell phone, and use that phone on a moving ship, anywhere in the world, just as they would at home. For one low, fixed price per minute, they can call anywhere they like without paying additional long distance charges. For customers preferring to use their own cellular service companies, On-Waves has maritime roaming agreements with more than 450 GSM and CDMA service providers around the globe. The On-Waves equipment includes a picocell, a small piece of hardware mounted on the exterior of the ship, and compact belowdecks hardware used to transmit calls over the mini-VSAT Broadband network. The mini-VSAT Broadband service, along with the KVH TracPhone V7 antenna, comprise the first end-to-end 24-inch VSAT antenna, service, and support package available for maritime communications.
