MIDDLETOWN, R.I., June 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI), a leading global satellite communications provider, is introducing the TracPhone® LTE-1 marine communications system designed to provide Internet access in U.S. waters more than 20 miles offshore, with data download speeds up to 100 Mbps. The system, which utilizes LTE Advanced (LTE-A) cellular network technology, is compact and affordable enough for a vast array of small and mid-size recreational boats—including sailboats, center consoles, fishing boats, and more—that until now have had few options besides the boater’s own cellphone for accessing the Internet while on the water. With the TracPhone LTE-1, boaters can access the Internet at twice the range and up to 10 times the data speed of typical cellphone performance offshore, with connectivity for multiple onboard devices.
“We used the TracPhone LTE-1 on our 36 Invincible, Gaff Reflexes, for a saltwater fishing tournament, and we were far enough offshore to where we typically lose signal, but with the LTE-1 we never lost service,” says Kirk Beattie, owner of Preferred Marine Sales Group, in Pompano Beach, FL. “We were streaming music clearer than ever, and Wi-Fi-based telephone and email applications came through with no problem. KVH’s TracPhone LTE-1 is truly impressive equipment: The size is perfect, it can fit on any center console, and you can’t beat the performance and clarity.”
The TracPhone LTE-1 is designed to enable various applications for mobile connectivity, such as streaming HD videos and music; Wi-Fi-based voice, messaging, collaboration, and video applications; browsing the Internet; and posting on social media—all while offshore.
“We believe the TracPhone LTE-1 will be a game changer for boaters who want to stay connected with HD streaming, video chatting, and more,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer. “We’ve taken the same end-to-end approach we use with our satellite-based products to offer the best experience for our customers by providing everything they need—from hardware to airtime—to enjoy fast Internet access on the boat.”
A complete system, the TracPhone LTE-1 includes a high-gain dual antenna array, modem, GPS, and Wi-Fi router inside a 34 cm (13 in) diameter dome. A single cable connects the antenna to a belowdecks Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injector to provide power to the system. The PoE can also be used to create a local area network (LAN) to facilitate faster data speeds; without the LAN, users can rely solely on the secure Wi-Fi router built into the dome to provide easy, convenient connectivity. The TracPhone LTE-1 uses cellular technology from two of the leading LTE carriers in the U.S., automatically switching between them to ensure the most seamless coverage available.
The TracPhone LTE-1 system is priced at $1,699 MSRP, with a flexible, month-to-month airtime plan providing 20 GB of data for $199 per month with no annual contract; the cost for additional data is $9.99 per gigabyte. The system is designed for use in U.S. waters only (including Hawaii and Alaska), and KVH is exploring expanding the product for use beyond U.S. waters in the future.
KVH is a mobile tech innovator that provides connectivity solutions for commercial maritime, leisure marine, and land mobile applications on vessels and vehicles, including the award-winning TracPhone and TracVision® product lines, the global mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network, and AgilePlans™ Connectivity as a Service (CaaS). The company’s Videotel™ business is a market-leading provider of training films, computer-based training, and eLearning for the maritime industry, and its KVH Media Group provides news, sports, and entertainment content with such brands as NEWSlink™ and SPORTSlink™.
For more information: Please visit the KVH website, kvh.com/LTE, for details about the TracPhone LTE-1, and follow KVH on Facebook, facebook.com/kvhindustries, and Twitter, twitter.com/kvh.
Note to editors: High-resolution images of KVH products are available at the KVH Press Room Image Library, kvh.com/Press-Room/Image-Library.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries, Inc., is a global leader in mobile connectivity and inertial navigation systems, innovating to enable a mobile world. A market leader in maritime VSAT, KVH designs, manufactures, and provides connectivity and content services globally. KVH is also a premier manufacturer of high-performance sensors and integrated inertial systems for defense and commercial applications. Founded in 1982, the company is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL, and more than a dozen offices around the globe.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding the expected competitive advantages of the LTE-1 system, expected data speeds over the cellular LTE networks for this system, expected benefits to KVH customers, expected pricing of the new product, and the expected level of coverage provided by LTE carriers. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Factors that might cause these differences include, but are not limited to: unanticipated technical and other challenges that arise with LTE service providers; potential demand for data services beyond current expectations, which could exceed system capabilities in certain regions and reduce the attractiveness of the system; the potential introduction of competing systems, which could reduce demand for the LTE-1 system; potential insufficient demand at offered prices; unanticipated technical, legal, and regulatory delays with the LTE carriers, which are beyond KVH control; competition for cellular capacity, which over time could increase costs and decrease service availability; and unanticipated expenses. Other risk factors are discussed in more detail in KVH’s most recent Form
10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2018. Copies are available through its Investor Relations department and website, http://investors.kvh.com. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information and developments.
KVH Industries, Inc. has used, registered, or applied to register its trademarks in the U.S.A. and other countries around the world, including but not limited to the following marks: KVH, TracPhone, TracVision, mini-VSAT Broadband, AgilePlans, Videotel, NEWSlink, and SPORTSlink. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
For further information, please contact:
Jill Connors
Media Relations & Industry Analyst Manager
KVH Industries, Inc.
Tel: +1 401 851 3824
jconnors@kvh.com