/Riviera
Cobham Satcom has developed an antenna for VSAT technology enabling passenger ships, OSVs and superyachts to seamlessly switch between Ku and Ka bands of radio frequencies, says an article published on Riviera.
Reduce operating costs
The new functionality improves redundancy of satellite communications to ships and enables captains and fleet managers to reduce operating costs and increase connectivity speeds for various client, passenger, seafarer and business applications.
Different orbits
Cobham Satcom will be delivering the first of its Sea Tel 1500 dual-band antennas to ships during Q4 2022.
This has a reflector dish of 1.5 m and can communicate with satellites in different orbits, from geosynchronous (GEO) to medium-Earth (MEO), low-Earth (LEO) and highly elliptical (HEO) orbits.
Available connection
Ship masters can switch between Ku and Ka bands to ensuring they benefit from the best available satellite connection for always-on connectivity.
For example, ships can use faster Ka-band on MEO satellites then switch to Ku-band GEO satellites when out of MEO beam coverage.
Client requirements
Cobham Satcoms expects the main focus for Sea Tel 1500 installations will be in the cruise, offshore energy, government and superyacht sectors, for vessels demanding high bandwidth for business-critical applications, client requirements and passenger connectivity.
Coverage area
The company said vessels that adopt the technology will be able to switch between frequency bands and satellite networks at a touch of a button as they move from different coverage areas.
Electronic switching
“With the introduction of push-button electronic switching between Ka- and Ku-band, the new Sea Tel 1500 VSAT is effectively a two-in-one antenna designed to ensure full business continuity as a vessel transits between different regions and satcom services,” said Cobham Satcom senior vice president for maritime Peter Kiær.
Optimising lifetime costs
“We are delighted to bring this flexibility to our customers looking to combine Ku-band coverage with high-power regional Ka-band services, while optimising lifetime costs and simplifying operations. All in a compact footprint.”
Cobham Satcom is also working with ViaSat to develop antennas for the Viasat-3 satellite network when it is launched.
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Source: Riviera
