Fleet Broadband
Encyclopedia
FleetBroadband is a maritime global Satellite Internet, Telephony, SMS Texting and ISDN Network for ocean going vessels using portable domed terminal antennas. These terminal antennas range in size from 291mm x 275mm (The FB150) to the largest 605mm x 630mm (FB500) system, which is capable of 432 kbit/s broadband speeds. These antennas, and corresponding indoor controllers, are used to connect phones and laptop computers from sailing vessels, on any ocean, with the rest of the world. All FleetBroadband antennas require line-of-sight
to one of three geosynchronous orbit
satellites, so the terminal can be used anywhere, even on land.
and is composed of three geosynchronous orbiting satellites called I-4
that allow contiguous global coverage, except for the poles. FleetBroadband systems installed on vessels may travel from ocean to ocean without human interaction. If there is line-of sight to one of the three I-4 satellites, then connectivity can be achieved, even in rough rolling seas. Since the FleetBroadband network uses the L band
, rain fade is much less of an issue than the larger VSAT Ku band
or C Band
systems.
The FleetBroadband service was modeled after terrestrial Internet services where IP based traffic Internet Protocol
dominated over ISDN and other earlier communication protocols. Many corporations and IT departments are standardizing around IP traffic for data, and voice and text communication, so it is assumed Inmarsat is filling that long term communications requirement.
Line-of-sight propagation
Line-of-sight propagation refers to electro-magnetic radiation or acoustic wave propagation. Electromagnetic transmission includes light emissions traveling in a straight line...
to one of three geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
satellites, so the terminal can be used anywhere, even on land.
Details
The FleetBroadband network was developed by InmarsatInmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
and is composed of three geosynchronous orbiting satellites called I-4
I-4 satellite
Three I-4 satellites make up the INMARSAT BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband communications network. They provide Internet and telephony connections anywhere on Earth, except the polar regions.-Streaming:...
that allow contiguous global coverage, except for the poles. FleetBroadband systems installed on vessels may travel from ocean to ocean without human interaction. If there is line-of sight to one of the three I-4 satellites, then connectivity can be achieved, even in rough rolling seas. Since the FleetBroadband network uses the L band
L band
L band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...
, rain fade is much less of an issue than the larger VSAT Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
or C Band
C band
The C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications. The IEEE C-band - and its slight variations - contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications...
systems.
The FleetBroadband service was modeled after terrestrial Internet services where IP based traffic Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
dominated over ISDN and other earlier communication protocols. Many corporations and IT departments are standardizing around IP traffic for data, and voice and text communication, so it is assumed Inmarsat is filling that long term communications requirement.