SES’ Maritime+ brings connectivity to ships at sea. Photo: SES.

SES and Gilat Satellite Networks have announced a strategic collaboration focused on delivering affordable connectivity to a broad range of small ships and vessels left underserved at sea in the Caribbean and beyond. Set for commercial launch in April, the plug-and-play platform is the latest offering within the SES Maritime+ service, which was first introduced late last year.

The new collaborative solution bundles Gilat’s MarineRay 60P all-in-one Ku-band maritime Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) antenna package with SES’ maritime capacity on both wide beam and upcoming High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity to help small yachts and ship operators break through barriers to entry.

Until now, the cost of antennas, installation, satellite capacity, and fleet and network management has kept many small vessels out of the VSAT market and unable to access high-speed connectivity to link crews and entertain passengers. The SES Maritime+ solution addresses these constraints with affordable equipment, bandwidth, installation and network management pricing for operators of even the smallest fishing boats and yachts.

The collaborative solution will be available first to small yachts and vessels traversing Caribbean waters, followed by small craft operating in the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and ocean waters throughout South East Asia.