Today's press release
LONDON, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- KVH Industries (Nasdaq: KVHI) launched its
latest product, the Inmarsat TracPhone at the London International Boat Show
today. The Inmarsat TracPhone is the first affordable and compact marine
phone and communication system for worldwide use with the new, powerful
Inmarsat-3 generation of satellites.
"The Inmarsat TracPhone represents a significant breakthrough in marine
satellite communications by answering the demand for smaller, less expensive
communications on boats," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, President and CEO.
Kits van Heyningen added that the Inmarsat TracPhone provides phone, fax and
other voice and data options from boats under way or at the dock from almost
anywhere in the world.
The Inmarsat TracPhone is about one half the size and one third the price
of traditional global marine Inmarsat M satellite systems. Specifically the
TracPhone's antenna with the radome measures 19 inches in diameter. The weight
of the Inmarsat TracPhone antenna and radome is 30 pounds, a fraction of the
weight of standard Inmarsat M satellite antennas.
Moreover, marine satellite service rates are considerably lower. The
phone service via Inmarsat-3 satellites costs about $3 per minute versus the
$5 and $10 per minute rates of other Inmarsat services, such as Inmarsat M and
Inmarsat A.
"The Inmarsat TracPhone is the first low cost satellite system that can be
used on a worldwide basis. Until now, our satellite communications products
have been regional products for North America," said Kits van Heyningen. "The
Inmarsat TracPhone represents a product expansion, which we're excited to
offer to the rest of the world."
TracPhone Stays Pointed at Inmarsat-3 Satellites Regardless of Sea State
The Inmarsat TracPhone is specifically engineered for the marine environment.
It contains internal rate gyro and compass sensors that keep the antenna
continually pointed at the satellite even when the vessel is pitching, rolling
and turning up to a 45-degree pitch and roll range.
Unlike the erratic communications using cellular phones aboard boats, the
Inmarsat TracPhone provides seamless communications because the Inmarsat-3
satellites cover areas where land-based cellular systems fall short. Cellular
phone coverage typically extends about 20 to 40 miles off shore whereas
Inmarsat phone service is expected to cover almost the entire earth by mid-
1997. Currently two of the four Inmarsat-3 satellites are in orbit, covering
80 percent of the world's land masses.
Inmarsat-3 Satellites 20 Times More Powerful for Affordable Global Marine
Communication
The Inmarsat TracPhone operates via the new high-powered Inmarsat-3
satellites, which were launched in April and August 1996, and cover the
Indian Ocean and Atlantic East regions. These geostationary satellites are 20
times stronger than Inmarsat's first generation of satellites and enable the
use of smaller, more affordable mobile marine satellite systems, such as the
Inmarsat TracPhone.
Inmarsat-3 spacecraft operate using the latest satellite spotbeam
technology for global voice and data communication services and feature 2,200
channels. Moreover, Inmarsat satellites are strategically located over the
four ocean regions: the Atlantic West, the Atlantic East, the Indian, and
Pacific ocean regions, with the satellite's spotbeam capable of being
reallocated to different areas of the world, depending on need.
Background on KVH Industries
KVH Industries develops, manufactures and markets digital navigation
systems and mobile satellite communication products for use in commercial,
military and marine applications. The company recently launched the AMSC
Tracphone, a regional satellite communication system for boats plying the
waters hundreds of miles off the U.S. coast including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. |
