In a move to increase safety and efficiency at sea, the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) new Electronic Chart and Display Information System (ECDIS) regulations require certain commercial vessels, as well as passenger vessels over 500 gross tons, to be equipped with ECDIS on the bridge by 2012 followed by compliance by other affected commercial vessels in stages through 2018.

A global, affordable SATCOM solution is key for meeting these requirements, since regular chart updates and ECDIS training are now provided online. That's why competitive fleet operators are choosing turnkey mini-VSAT Broadbandsm SATCOM solutions integrated with the CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager from KVH Industries to make ECDIS a convenient, affordable reality on their vessels.

"Mariners need a reliable communications solution that can be acquired and installed easily and affordably, with predictable, low-cost monthly airtime rates to help them comply with the IMO's new ECDIS requirements," explains Brent Bruun, KVH's senior vice president for global sales and business development.

"KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband network, TracPhone V-series antennas, and optional CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager are the most reliable and affordable satellite communications options to support onboard ECDIS technology and make regular chart updates and ECDIS training part of daily life on commercial vessels. Plus, mini-VSAT Broadband service is affordable enough to be used for additional applications like business communications and crew morale initiatives."

KVH is offering a free white paper, "ECDIS and mini-VSAT Broadband - Next-generation SATCOM for Next-generation Navigation" that explains the new ECDIS regulations, and the benefits offered by KVH's SATCOM solution, in detail.

A managed airtime network solution, mini-VSAT Broadband equips vessels with the highest data rates available today with downloads as fast as 2 Mbps and uploads as fast as 512 Kbps, as well as Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications.

Multiple airtime plans are available, including simple metered plans ($0.99 for data and $0.49 per minute for voice services) and fixed monthly and seasonal plans with even lower data and voice costs. The global mini-VSAT Broadband network and KVH's TracPhone V7 and V3 maritime terminals are fully approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and meet the strict regulations of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

KVH also offers the CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager, a tool that can be used with any onboard communications solution (including mini-VSAT Broadband, Inmarsat FleetBroadband, GSM cell service, and more, plus all supporting hardware) to maximize the value of that service using a variety of software modules. For mariners seeking the most convenient and affordable ECDIS compliance, CommBox's QuickFile software module offers a range of invaluable benefits.

The KVH CommBox offers web compression and acceleration that make the most of the vessel's data use while allowing IT managers to control or prevent access to applications that they feel use excessive bandwidth. Using the CommBox helps mariners to use less data, and reduce airtime costs, by reducing file sizes from 80-99% on average.