ONBOARD Magazine summer 2019

THE
NEED FOR
SPEED
WITH THE CHARTER SEASON IN FULL SWING, HOW DO THE VSAT AND
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS COPE WITH THE NEED TO SERVE GUESTS AND
OWNERS WITH COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF DATA? WORDS: ADAM FIANDER
With 5G already implemented in parts of the USA and
with the help of working-parties and user groups,
European 5G coverage gradually being introduced
in ‘trial’ cities, it’s testament to the relentless
demand and voracious appetite for faster, ever
more sophisticated mobile connectivity.
Areas of society set to benefit greatly from 5G are numerous;
pretty much all of us in fact. The world of media and entertainment,
for example, is one of the more obvious areas. Others are the
energy industry, the health industry and manufacturing where
robotics, logistics and anywhere, in fact, where inter-business
communication is required. The much talked about ‘driverless
car technology’ will also rely upon 5G when the technology
becomes available.
Just as shore-based needs are set to benefit, it’s much the
same for yachts. During busy peak-periods on a large 30m or
40m+ yacht, it would not be unreasonable to assume that at
least 12 data-hungry guests, and up to 20 or more hard-working
crew, are expecting to receive instant, lag-free connectivity,
uninterrupted telephoning, video-conferencing, almost continuous
use of social-media, online gaming, use of cloud-based applications,
HD TV and potentially all at the same time!
With that kind of demand in place, it’s good to know that cellular
technology and land-based communications providers are very
much part of the future framework for yacht connectivity moving
forward. In fact, the yacht market now has a very good choice
of both VSAT (very small aperture terminals) and land-based
communication providers. All the companies I spoke to offer a
sensible and logical ‘hybrid’ solution, switching between the two
systems to maintain continuity, speed and reliability.
Satellite companies have brought about accelerated developments
in progressive LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite technology, and
High Throughput Satellites (HTS) and GEO satellite platforms,
where impressive technology gains are being made.
130 | SUMMER 2019 | ONBOARD