MIDDLETOWN, R.I., July 18, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The writing is on the wall – commercial and leisure mariners continue their move to VSAT service in response to Inmarsat's slow data rates, expensive airtime, and customer frustration with new rates and policies that went into effect on July 1, 2011. To help these mariners, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) is making it even more affordable and convenient to switch to a next-generation VSAT solution now without having to wait years for new satellites to be designed and launched. KVH's "Writing on the Wall" promotion offers up to three free months of airtime for current Inmarsat customers who wish to switch to KVH's mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service, the world's most popular and fastest growing maritime VSAT network. Current Inmarsat customers will learn what a growing number of mariners around the world already know – all mini-VSAT Broadband users enjoy data usage for one-tenth the price and dramatically faster speeds than they would get with comparable Inmarsat data plans.
"Old L-band maritime SATCOM services like Inmarsat cost too much and don't offer the bandwidth necessary to meet the needs of today's leisure and commercial mariners. With this new promotion, mariners will enjoy significant up-front savings when choosing one of KVH's price-effective mini-VSAT Broadband airtime plans," explains Brent Bruun, KVH's senior vice president for sales and business development. "We look forward to upgrading current Inmarsat customers to the affordability and convenience of our mini-VSAT Broadband solution. For less than $50 a month, mariners can now bring the power and speed of next-generation VSAT onboard and enjoy the additional benefit of up to three months of free airtime."
The "Writing on the Wall" promotion offers several great options so mariners can select the arrangement that works best for their boat and budget, regardless of vessel size or application:
- Purchase or lease a TracPhone® V7 or TracPhone V3, subscribe to any monthly airtime rate plan, and get three extra months of in-plan airtime for free (15 months of airtime for the cost of 12 – up to a $2,997 value).
- Purchase or lease a TracPhone V7, subscribe to any fixed standard monthly airtime rate plan with a 36-month subscription, and get your first month of airtime free (up to a $5,995 value).
These options are available to all Inmarsat FleetBroadband, Fleet, and mini-M customers through December 31, 2011. Terms and conditions are available at www.kvh.com/writingonthewall.
With more than 1,500 antenna systems shipped and global coverage, KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband network is the world's largest and fastest growing maritime Ku-band satellite communications network. A managed airtime network solution, it 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. The network uses ViaSat ArcLight® spread spectrum technology, which was previously available only for military applications. Multiple airtime plans are available, including simple metered plans ($0.99 per MB for data and $0.49 per minute for voice services and packages starting at less than $50 per month) and fixed monthly and seasonal plans with even lower data and voice costs. These benefits are available to mariners on any size vessel, for any application, and even in adverse weather conditions via the award-winning 24" TracPhone V7 and compact, 14.5" TracPhone V3 antennas and the integrated ArcLight modem.
Please visit www.kvh.com/writingonthewall for full details about this exciting promotion and the award-winning KVH mini-VSAT Broadband solution.
Note to Editors: High-resolution, press-ready images of KVH's TracPhone V7 and V3 antennas are available at http://press.kvh.com for download and editorial use.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries, Inc., and its subsidiaries are leading providers of in-motion satellite TV and communication systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than 150,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. KVH's mission is to connect mobile customers around the globe with the same digital television entertainment, communications, and Internet services that they enjoy in their homes and offices. The company is based in Middletown, RI, with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, and Singapore.
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product development; and customer preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual results could differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, those discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.
KVH and TracPhone are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. "mini-VSAT Broadband" is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.