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KVH offers flexible marine satellite plan

KVH offers flexible marine satellite plan
In the current fluid ship transaction market owners are being offered a very practical solution to the issue of bringing satellite communications systems onboard that are easily transferred and at a competitive price.
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Leading provider of in-motion satellite TV and communications systems KVH Industries has launched AgilePlans, what it dubs an all-inclusive Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) offering for the maritime industry. AgilePlans provides the onboard hardware as well as includes installation cost and is based on monthly subscriptions with no long-term commitment period so subscribers can end a subscription at any time without penalty.

For a single monthly fee, AgilePlans by KVH brings an advanced satellite communications solution onboard without costly capital expenditure or long-term commitment. The subscription fee is as low as $499 a month for a complete package including hardware, connectivity, installation at selected ports, entertainment and training content, and global support.

The plan is designed to enable customers to adjust quickly to changing market conditions and support fleet expansion or contraction as needed, KVH said.

Therefore an owner need not worry if a ship is sold soon after subscribing to the system. The plan can simply be terminated or left to the new owner to deal with, and meanwhile the company can still benefit from an onboard satellite communications system that is designed to deliver everything a fleet needs for better communications and improved operational efficiency at sea. 

“Connectivity as a Service makes real sense, bringing simplicity, accessibility, and scalability without the need for up front capex, so the AgilePlans service from KVH is groundbreaking in that respect. But this isn’t just about cutting costs, it’s about delivering value, which makes the inclusion of crew content and eLearning in the KVH offering really significant,” said KD Adamson, futurist and founder of Futurenautics Group.

The AgilePlans service complements existing purchase and lease options offered by KVH, so users switching to the plan will be given various options if they are already on other plans offered by KVH, said coo Brent Bruun.

"This has been welcomed by ship owners and is a way of future proofing the system," added KVH Asia-Pacific sales vp Vivian Quenet.