SES Broadband for Maritime is a two-way
satellite broadband Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
service for use on private boats and commercial ships throughout European waters.
SES Broadband for Maritime provides high-speed Internet access (at up to 2 Mbit/s downlink) along with
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...
telephone, email, and
virtual private network
A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The be ...
services to vessels while at anchor/moored or in motion. The service started in September 2009.
The ship-borne service is based on the
SES Broadband
SES Broadband (previously ASTRA2Connect) is a two-way satellite broadband Internet service available across Europe, which launched in March 2007, and uses the Astra series of geostationary satellites.
SES Broadband is owned and operated by SES ...
land-based satellite broadband technology and is operated by SES Broadband Services, a subsidiary of
SES
SES, S.E.S., Ses and similar variants can refere to:
Business and economics
* Socioeconomic status
* Scottish Economic Society, a learned society in Scotland
* SES, callsign of the TV station SES/RTS (Mount Gambier, South Australia)
* SES S.A., ...
based in
Betzdorf, Luxembourg, in conjunction with Korean marine antenna manufacturers KNS.
Until March 2012, the service was called ASTRA2Connect Maritime Broadband and the operating company ASTRA Broadband Services. The name was changed in line with the rebranding of parent company SES.
Uses
SES Broadband for Maritime provides an always-on Internet connection to vessels, and the service can be used equally well while a vessel is either docked or underway at sea, to provide users the same connectivity capabilities they have in their homes or offices.
The service is intended for pleasure crafts, fishing and coastal ships, ferries and smaller commercial cargo carriers, operating mainly in the North and Baltic Seas, and the northern Mediterranean.
SES Broadband for Maritime coverage is available throughout Europe and so the service may also be used by boats on in-land waterways.
[H2OSatellit]
''H2O Litespeed''
(September, 2009). Company brochure. Accessed November 14, 2009
The main alternative to the service is
Inmarsat's
FleetBroadband
FleetBroadband is maritime satellite internet, telephony, SMS texting, and ISDN network for ocean-going vessels using portable domed terminal antennas.
These antennas, and corresponding indoor controllers, are used to connect phones and laptop c ...
service that, although almost global in reach, is based on
3G technologies and limited to a 432 kbit/s download speed.
Marketing
SES Broadband for Maritime is marketed to end users by third party service providers, of which there is currently one for all of Europe – UK-based H2OSatellite. The H2OLitespeed package includes hardware rental and broadband access in a fixed-rate monthly fee, dependent on the speed of connection (512 kbit/s download, 96 kbit/s upload, 1024 kbit/s download, 128 kbit/s upload, and 2048 kbit/s download, 128 kbit/s upload are available).
Technology
The Internet connection provided by SES Broadband for Maritime is a two-way satellite link between the user’s vessel and the
Astra 3B
Astra 3B is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2010 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital position providing digital television and radio for direct-to-home (DTH), and the AstraConnect two-way satellite b ...
communications satellite at
23.5° east, which in turn is linked to the SES Broadband Services HQ and
teleport located in
Betzdorf where a hub connects to the
Internet backbone
The Internet backbone may be defined by the principal data routes between large, strategically interconnected computer networks and core routers of the Internet. These data routes are hosted by commercial, government, academic and other high-ca ...
.
Downlink
In a telecommunications network, a link is a communication channel that connects two or more devices for the purpose of data transmission. The link may be a dedicated physical link or a virtual circuit that uses one or more physical links or shar ...
s and
uplink
In a telecommunications network, a link is a communication channel that connects two or more devices for the purpose of data transmission. The link may be a dedicated physical link or a virtual circuit that uses one or more physical links or shar ...
s to & from the vessel's antenna comprise
IP data embedded in a
DVB-S2
Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-S2) is a digital television broadcast standard that has been designed as a successor for the popular DVB-S system. It was developed in 2003 by the Digital Video Broadcasting Proje ...
carrier using the
Ku band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally german: Kurz-unten), because it is the lower part of the ori ...
(10.70 GHz ~ 12.75 GHz for downlink, 14.00 GHz ~ 14.50 GHz for uplink).
User Equipment
Vessels using SES Broadband for Maritime require a simple
VSAT
A very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) is a two-way satellite ground station with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3.8 meters. The majority of VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2 m. Bit rates, in most cases, range from 4 kbit/s up to 16 ...
terminal comprising an antenna developed by KNS and modem from Newtec. The antenna is an in-motion motorised and stabilised dish for reception and transmission (500 mW), which automatically aligns to the Astra 1E satellite and maintains its orientation (and therefore the IP link to the satellite) even while the vessel is in motion – underway, manoeuvring, rolling or pitching.
SES Broadband for Maritime uses the KNS SuperTrack A9 antenna – an 85 cm dish weighing 57 kg, housed in a 110 cm x 103 cm protective
radome
A radome (a portmanteau of radar and dome) is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a radar antenna (radio), antenna. The radome is constructed of material transparent to radio waves. Radomes protect the antenna from weather and ...
– which is mounted on the superstructure and connected to an ACU (Antenna Control Unit) in the control room. Also in the control room, the SES Broadband for Maritime satellite modem connects to the dish’s iLNB and to the user's
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
using a standard
8P8C
A modular connector is a type of electrical connector for cords and cables of electronic devices and appliances, such as in computer networking, telecommunication equipment, and audio headsets.
Modular connectors were originally developed for ...
Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
connector, behaving as an IP Bridge.
See also
*
SES Broadband
SES Broadband (previously ASTRA2Connect) is a two-way satellite broadband Internet service available across Europe, which launched in March 2007, and uses the Astra series of geostationary satellites.
SES Broadband is owned and operated by SES ...
European land-based satellite Internet
*
Inmarsat Marine communications satellites
*
FleetBroadband
FleetBroadband is maritime satellite internet, telephony, SMS texting, and ISDN network for ocean-going vessels using portable domed terminal antennas.
These antennas, and corresponding indoor controllers, are used to connect phones and laptop c ...
Inmarsat service
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ses Broadband For Maritime
SES S.A.
Satellite Internet access
Broadband
Maritime communication
Internet in Europe
Internet service providers
Direct broadcast satellite services
Interactive television
Telecommunications companies of Luxembourg
Betzdorf, Luxembourg