Vizada is adding ‘data allowance’ packages to its Pharostar maritime VSAT service to make it more attractive to a wider range of vessel categories, and particularly smaller tonnage, fishing and work boats. The ‘data allowances’, which complement the traditional ‘throughput-based’ VSAT offering, start from 5Gb for an airtime cost of $1000, with top-up options.
The company has also introduced two smaller antennas. The 60cm and 80cm Ku-band antennas require less space and can be delivered pre-assembled for simpler and faster installation. Pharostar’s coverage area will also be extended later this year giving further reach to vessels operating in the South Atlantic and Indian oceans. The newly designed Pharostar service can be combined with a mobile satellite service (MSS) back-up for full global coverage.
The Pharostar service can be managed through Vizada XChange, a platform designed to make the interconnection between vessel and corporate network more straightforward. XChange enables IT managers to seamlessly switch connectivity from VSAT to MSS, ensuring continuous communications as the ship enters or exits the coverage zones, and delivers functionalities such as anti-virus and web compression.