FURUNO’s new VSAT antenna to be launched in the first quarter of 2010

FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. is pleased to announce that its new, high-performance Ku-band VSAT antenna for satellite-based maritime broadband communications will be introduced to the market in the first quarter of 2010. This development is brought about through close technical collaboration between FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
General Overview
FURUNO has already entered into the field of airtime business for satellite-based, maritime communication with the brand name “SafeComNet” from October 2008 onward. Through “SafeComNet”, FURUNO brings to the market the Ku-band VSAT service by which high-speed broadband communications are made available to ocean-going fleet around the globe.
Through this technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, FURUNO is now able to provide the customers with the VSAT antenna under the FURUNO brand that fully satisfies its own quality standard for the maritime communication products. Its scheduled launch to the market is expected to be in the first quarter of 2010.
FURUNO’s new VSAT antenna brings stable communication to ocean-going fleet, facilitating constant satellite tracking regardless of ship’s motion. Also, in case of communication failure, FURUNO’s worldwide service network will be there to back up the customers and fix the problems.  
Basic specifications
Radome Diameter: 1574 mm
Radome Height: 1700 mm
Weight: 165 kg
Scheduled release: the first quarter of 2010
Distributed by: FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (Nishinomiya, Japan)
Contact persons for information: 
Keisuke KITAMURA (Mr.) <keisuke.kitamura@furuno.co.jp>, 
Shogo ZAIZEN (Mr.) <shohgo.zaizen.sd@furuno.co.jp>
Section-3, International Marketing Department
FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Tel: +81 (0)798631182
Manufactured by: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)
About VSAT
The operating frequency of VSAT is Ku-band, 14 GHz (uplink) and 12 GHz (downlink). It brings high-speed ship-to-shore broadband communication of up to 1 Mbps around the world via GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) satellites. This high communication speed of VSAT allows for ship-to-shore communication to handle large amount of data without any notable downtime. This would fulfil the growing demands in the maritime industry for onboard network infrastructure to handle more and more bandwidth-hungry applications while at sea.
One other point to be noted about Ku-band VSAT communication is that its communication charge is based upon fixed monthly flat rate. This means that the customers are now able to benefit from “always-on” connectivity, utilising the Internet, video streaming and other means of data communications without worrying about the amount of data transmitted and received as well as the duration of time connected to the network.
About SafeComNet
SafeComNet is FURUNO’s satellite-based maritime broadband communications solution through which communication equipment, various applications together with air-time as well as worldwide service and support are provided to the industry as an all-inclusive solution package. 
From October 2008 onward, FURUNO delivers seamless global roaming service for Ku-band VSAT. From October 2009, FURUNO started handling Inmarsat FleetBroadband under the framework of SafeComNet. FURUNO’s SafeComNet will deliver broadband network infrastructure to the maritime industry to meet the growing demands for more bandwidth at sea that stems from the broadband IP era that reaches the maritime industry.
By Professional Mariner Staff