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KVH looks back on five years of maritime connectivity as

For decades, the only way to bring global satellite communications aboard a commercial vessel was to purchase CAPEX-intensive equipment or hire on a long-term basis, hampering fleet managers’ ability to s adapt to varied operational needs. That changed five years ago when KVH launched AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service, an innovative, all-inclusive communications subscription service.

“We have decided to remove the CAPEX barrier and enable accelerated deployment of shipboard communication systems worldwide,” said Mark Woodhead, Executive Vice President of Mobile Connectivity at KVH. “As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of AgilePlans, we believe we are achieving that goal.”

“Thousands of ships now rely on AgilePlans and its all-inclusive subscription for affordable broadband connectivity for operations and crew, all carried over our global High Throughput Satellite (HTS) network from our partner Intelsat. And while maritime connectivity aggregators have tried to emulate AgilePlans, no other provider offers the same compelling package of integrated hardware and airtime combined with crew welfare and operations content, free delivery and installation, zero maintenance costs, and more. Additionally, we will soon be adding SPORTSlink™ Stats, an innovative new real-time stats feature for major sports, as a free Crew Wellness benefit through AgilePlans.

A key to AgilePlans’ appeal to fleets and ship managers is the flexibility it offers with a simple, no-commitment monthly subscription and the ability to quickly deploy systems to meet changing operational needs.

“For us, it is very important to work with a company that can provide the ease and flexibility of paying monthly without any commitment concerns,” Holger Börchers, Briese Schiffahrt’s IT manager, recently explained after the ship’s manager has selected AgilePlans for onboard use. more than 35 ships. “It shows that KVH understands the commercial marine market and the fact that fleet sizes are changing.” He adds, “KVH AgilePlans offers full coverage of all costs in one price, and we found working with KVH to be seamless.”

The fast and reliable VSAT connectivity provided by AgilePlans is also appreciated for IoT connectivity by fleets who see the financial benefits of real-time data for IoT/remote support applications such as remote equipment monitoring, remote technical assistance, vessel tracking, voyage planning, video conferencing, etc. These applications are supported using the high-speed, unlimited-use concurrent channels offered by the KVH TracPhone HTS 60cm and 1m series terminals available as part of an AgilePlans subscription.

KVH’s HTS network uses Intelsat’s FlexMaritime service to provide global multi-layer coverage, allowing vessels to view multiple HTS and wide-beam satellites for maximum broadband service availability.