Inmarsat Fleet Broadband MFE Project benefits from Access Controller FB-10

Property developer Tom Collins no longer has to choose between work and play – thanks to FleetBroadband 150 he can now combine running his successful business with pursuing his hobby of fishing from his Florida-based 20-metre (65 ft) yacht, the Xcetra.

Tom’s desire for absolute flexibility about where and when he works, and resulting need for guaranteed voice and data connectivity from any location and at any time, were behind his participation in an Inmarsat maritime field evaluation (MFE) for FB150.

MFEs allow Inmarsat to study, with its partners and solutions providers, how mariners use FleetBroadband in their everyday lives at sea, and to gather feedback which helps in the development of new services and applications.

Smaller vessels

The current series of trials involving the newest FleetBroadband service, designed specifically to provide higher data rates and advanced communications capabilities for smaller vessels, covers all the major maritime sectors, including leisure, merchant, fishing and government.

Inmarsat service provider KVH Industries and distribution partner Stratos arranged the MFE on board the Xcetra, which saw a KVH TracPhone FB150 installed alongside existing Fleet 33 equipment.

Also included was Livewire Connections’ Access Controller FB-10, which acts as a hub for all communications services and allows users to select how they access the internet – through FB150, F33 or Wi-Fi – depending on their data needs and location.

Instant access 

Most importantly for Tom, having FB150 also allowed him to switch seamlessly into work mode at any time, with guaranteed, instantly accessible voice and data connectivity for business communications via his laptop or FB150-compatible iPhone.

Speaking from the Xcetra, Tom said: "It means I do not have to stay on shore while the others go fishing. I do not have to hang on the phone and I do not have to worry about checking to see if I am going to have internet access.

"Also, I do not have to go back to my office that often when I want to be here. I closed two deals yesterday and I didn’t have to go anywhere."