Until now, service providers have required antennas of 60cm or larger to deliver high throughput services owing to the higher power demanded by smaller units, but with the advent of HTS technology teamed with innovative antenna design, the use of more compact antennas has become possible. The v45C has been developed to bring VSAT to new markets where there is limited space available for communications equipment, such as workboats, leisure craft, fishing boats, small commercial and government vessels.

Intelsat is among the first to take advantage of this capability with the addition of a 45cm category to its FlexMaritime HTS service. VSAT delivery to small antennas has traditionally been restricted to localised regions in order to conserve power, but through the use of spot beam technology, HTS satellites can overcome this limitation. By providing high-power service to small, tightly-focused areas, frequencies can be reused across the satellite’s coverage area, supporting global service while reducing the cost of delivery. Intelsat takes this principle a step further with FlexMaritime, with multiple satellites able to overlay spots in the same area to boost performance even further.

It is this ability to dynamically allocate services as required, teamed with Intellian’s advanced technology, which allows a small antenna to deliver connectivity and performance at reasonable cost to the customer.

Shane Rossbacher, director of maritime products, Intelsat, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Intellian’s new v45C compact antenna to our Intelsat FlexMaritime service. This is an exciting time for customers who require a VSAT solution that is both space- and cost-efficient, and we’re delighted that Intellian has developed an innovative product that is ideally suited to take full advantage of our new 45cm service category.”

In common with the globally-successful v60E antenna launched last year, the v45C shares technology developed for Intellian’s advanced NX Series antennas. These range in size from 85cm to 150cm, with single-cable, dome-on connection and simple commissioning and diagnostics via the built-in AptusNX antenna management software.

Eric Sung, CEO, Intellian Technologies, said: “We’re delighted to gain this qualification from Intelsat. The combination of our leading antenna design and Intelsat’s innovative FlexMaritime service will deliver cost-effective VSAT service to customers in need of a compact, global high speed connectivity solution. We expect this to open up new markets, and look forward to collaborating with customers to help them gain the best possible results from the combination of HTS connectivity and Intellian products.”