MANUFACTURER GUIDE

Globalstar: globalstar.com

Inmarsat: inmarsat.com

Intellian: intelliantech.com

Iridium: iridium.com

KVH Industries: kvh.com of voice calls).

Another option is KVH’S Tracphone Fleet One system, which is comprised of a tidy-size, abovedecks radome-enclosed antenna (it’s 11.5 inches tall, 11 inches in diameter and weighs 8.7 pounds), a belowdecks terminal and a handset. Once installed, users have their choice between KVH’S Fleet One Coastal service, which delivers data (out to roughly 200 nautical miles) and near-global voice calls, and KVH’S Fleet One Global service, which delivers voice and data nearly worldwide (see KVH’S website for details). In both cases, users can expect data-transfer speeds of up to 100 Kbps, clear voice calls, and the ability to send 160-character texts. Owners can add an optional wireless router, which turns the system into an onboard Sat-fi network that can provide connectivity to any number of devices. In addition to hardware costs and monthly airtime rates ($50 per month for Fleet One Coastal, which includes 10MB of data and 100 minutes of voice calling, and $130 per month for Fleet One Global, which includes 15MB of data and 250 minutes of voice calling), cruisers will likely need to factor in installation costs, which can vary.