By
Alex Smith |
Speedcast has implemented a specialised connectivity solution onboard a cruise line’s newest vessel, which will deliver its greatest ever bandwidth to a cruise ship.
The new connectivity service was launched as part of the ship’s inaugural 14-day transatlantic crossing. It delivers dedicated capacity, which is available at all times throughout the itinerary.
The ship’s onboard network is supported by Speedcast’s TrueBeam platform, which maintains quality of service across satellite beams with automated smart beam-switching and traffic-steering based on location, footprint contours and committed information rates. TrueBeam also enables tracking between the satellite and ship to provide the maximum level of availability and meet full vessel capacity demands.
The dual Ka-band antenna solution provides non-metered bandwidth throughout the full itinerary of the ship for the next two years, with the ability to burst to 1.8 gigabits per second on demand. According to Speefcast, this is the most bandwidth delivered to a ship on a consistent basis in the cruise industry, and is equivalent to the total capacity provided across the operator’s entire fleet in 2013.
“Since the cruise industry began its return to sea, demand for bandwidth has accelerated beyond all expectations to meet the needs of passengers,” said Brent Horwitz, senior vice president of cruise at Speedcast. “This unique technical solution, in which the satellite coverage follows the ship across its itinerary, ensures that the ship always remains in the centre of the beam, delivering maximum bandwidth levels consistently. We’re proud to bring this industry-first level of bandwidth to our customer’s latest ship and to implement it on short notice to support their growth requirements.”