Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries deploys Moovbox mobile broadband system for marine Internet connectivity

Sittingbourne, UK (PRWEB) April 8th 2008 -- Moovera Networks, a leading developer of fixed and mobile wireless communications systems, today announced that Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries has chosen technology from Moovera to provide in-ship broadband Internet connectivity.  Wightlink has equipped ferries in the South of England running between the Isle of Wight and the mainland towns of Portsmouth and Lymington with the Moovbox M Series mobile broadband gateway, which provides Internet access at broadband speeds up to 3.6Mbps, and real-time GPS-based ship location monitoring.  The implementation of on-board Internet is part of a major modernization program that includes the commissioning of three new ships, recently constructed in Croatia and currently undergoing sea trials.  With eight car ferries and three FastCats in the fleet, annually Wightlink carries over 5.5 million passengers, 1.2 million cars, and almost 200,000 coaches and freight vehicles.

“By equipping our ferries with always-on, high-speed broadband technology from Moovera Networks, we’re able to ensure our captains and crew have instant access to online resources throughout the voyage.  We’re also laying the foundation for public Wi-Fi hotspot services as we continually seek ways to improve the passenger experience.” said Andrew Willson, Wightlink’s Chief Executive

The Moovbox M Series delivers Internet access on the Wightlink ships by creating a bridge between a vessel and the next-generation 3G HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) cellular broadband network from T-Mobile.  The Moovbox offers Ethernet connectivity for ship systems, secure Wi-Fi for crew laptops, and includes built-in GPS for real-time fleet tracking.

“The Moovbox mobile broadband gateway has been well-proven on land-based transportion such as buses and coaches, so it was a natural transition to apply the same technology to coastal marine applications,” said Jim Baker, founder and CEO of Moovera Networks.  “Wightlink’s deployment on passenger ferries is the largest of its kind in the UK to date, and creates a solid platform for a host of vessel and passenger-oriented services in the future.”

The Moovbox mobile gateway is a ruggedized Wi-Fi access point and cellular router, offering multiple wide area network (WAN) radios for automatic failover between carriers, and features built-in GPS for real-time positioning.  Moovbox products also offer secure Ethernet for IP-CCTV, DVR and telematics equipment with remote in-bound access for device control.  The multi-user MoovManage service provides real-time device tracking, schedule adherence monitoring, remote device configuration, and Wi-Fi portal and usage statistics.  More information is available online at www.moovera.com.

About Moovera Networks

Based in the United Kingdom, Moovera Networks is a privately-held manufacturer of industrial-grade fixed, mobile and portable wireless communications products that bridge Wi-Fi access with carrier-class networks including 3G UMTS/HSPA, WiMAX, TD-CDMA, HC-SDMA and FLASH-OFDM. Applications include commercial hotspots, city-wide municipal and in-vehicle wireless, public safety, construction, events, and secure corporate communications. Customers include national telcos and mobile carriers, local government and public safety authorities, ISPs, systems integrators and transport operators around the world.

About Wightlink

Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries operates a round-the-clock service between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight, running every day of the year on three routes across the Solent and sail up to 230 times a day.  Wightlink is the principal provider of ferry services between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland and is the largest single user of the port of Portsmouth with over 68,000 sailings a year across all three routes.