Whats the best offshore internet connection?

[rebel heart]

For my day job I work in IT, and can also do most of my work remotely. I worked for a company that built SC modems for the Orbcomm network, so I got a chance to poke around see the market.

You guys summarized it really well. If you have tons of cash, then you can get mediocre (at best) service. The prices probably will never come down in our lifetime, because there's just not enough market for people in the middle of nowhere to need broadband access.

My theory thus far, is that if I want to go back to work, I'll find myself in a country where I can go on land and do my job. Maybe it means renting an apartment, or maybe just a roommate kind of thing. Or maybe a marina?

My company is cool with me being away, provided things get done well. I'm better off telling them that I'll be off the grid for six months, then being available for 6-12 months (in Suva? Auckland?) and having that be a real no-kidding land line. I'd need a phone too, be available for emails / pages, and stuff like that.

I'm thinking that my office will be like those mobile army camps that are somewhat permanent, but can be broken down and moved as needed.

[Pblais]

The prices probably will never come down in our lifetime, because there's just not enough market for people in the middle of nowhere to need broadband access.

In some ways we are kicking up against the speed of light. Things just can't go any faster.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Pblais

In some ways we are kicking up against the speed of light. Things just can't go any faster.

A lot of it is just basic economics. There's no volume to be made in our market, so they have insanely high profit margins. Those constellations are extremely pricey. I remember reading emails fly around about how they'd have to move certain satelites around because of meteor showers, there was always battery maintenance, etc. And they have a limited lifespan regardless.

Then factor in the costs to your vessel in order to install and provide the necassary power to those things... sheesh. Grab a helicopter while you're at it.

[hellosailor]

"In some ways we are kicking up against the speed of light. Things just can't go any faster."
Oh, Paul! That's just so twentieth-century.<G> Don't you know the speed of light is a variable, not an absolute? They've gotten it as slow as 30mph, and iirc faster than the old 186,000mps as well. And don't forget, it's been something like a decade now since the Brookhaven team split one particle into two parts--and then observed the two parts are linked even though being totally isolated. With one of those "quantum modems" there is no reason that you couldn't have one box on your boat, and a second one located 10,000 miles away, with "instantaneous" communications. Well, no reason once they figure out what's linked and how to support the particles without the billion-dollar lab wrapped around them.<G>

If someone doesn't push a maigc button that unglues the entire universe, there's some pretty radical stuff coming down the pike.

[mfeene01]

This might be a good starting point

http://www.kvh.com/kvhinternet/index_marine.asp

[Pblais]

This might be a good starting point

It's really no different than DirecWay from Hughes just maybe slightly cheaper but the real data rate is not quite so clear cut. The rates they quote are only best case situations. Downloads tend to be ten times better than uploads in all the systems. Your little baby transmitter isn't as powerful as the one they have to broadcast with.

It's very limited as far as service area too. The ultimate problem is the starting point is just about the finish point. To really increase bandwidth you need larger time slices to/from the satellite. This becomes the limit of how many users can share the satellite. It also sets up the cost structure too. Given the power of your transmitter isn't going to get large anytime soon it sets the lower limit on what you can do beyond just watching TV.

The ability to send signals isn't much better but the infrastructure to sell it in small chunks has improved. They are just cutting the pie in a lot smaller pieces without making the pie any bigger. If you are the US Military you can have a whole lot of sateliites you don't share with any one and have great coverage any place.

[meme]

Bump!
This is an old thread, but speaks to my query.
Wondering what the best offshore internet connection is and if it is
affordable, have things improved as far as offshore internet goes?
Thanks!

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by meme

.........Wondering what the best offshore internet connection is and if it is affordable, have things improved as far as offshore internet goes?
Thanks!

It depends

My own solution - Iridium Pilot for voice and large internet (= expensive but immediate).

ICOM M801 + Pactor 4 for email and weather, plus cruising nets

WiFi Bat for extended wifi range where the large download is not so immediate.

Note the Iridium Pilot is an expensive up-front solution, and takes up valuable rail space for the aerial, but if you are going to be onboard and away for some time, the reduced useage fees over the handhelds, and the faster download speeds make it a very viable option.

[ka4wja]

Meme,
Talbot summed things up for you pretty well!!
(see my additional info in red....)

Originally Posted by meme

This is an old thread, but speaks to my query.
Wondering what the best offshore internet connection is and if it is
affordable, have things improved as far as offshore internet goes?

As for what is "affordable"??
Well, that depends on your bank account...

{If you can afford a VSAT system ($15,000 -$30,000+ up front, plus data costs), backed-up by Iridium Pilot (~ $4000), or INMARSAT Fleet Broadband (~ $5000), then "offshore internet" is very affordable and reliable.....
But, for 99.999% of us, it is still a pretty big nut....and most do NOT have internet access when offshore...}

Originally Posted by Talbot

It depends

My own solution - Iridium Pilot for voice and large internet (= expensive but immediate).
[approx. $4000 - $4500 for equipment, plus data costs...and depending on your plan, and how much YOU wish to spend, you CAN get real speeds of 128K....]
[Note that INMARSAT Fleet Broadband 150 is a little more expensive, but has approx. the same thruput or slightly more....with FB250 and FB500 being much more expensive ($10,500 - $13,000), but offering higher speeds...]



ICOM M801 + Pactor 4 for email and weather, plus cruising nets
[approx. $4000 - $4500 all in....with Sailmail costs of $250/yr....but this is only low-speed data e-mail...NOT internet connectivity...]


WiFi Bat for extended wifi range where the large download is not so immediate.
[$200 - $300..for the Ubiquity Bullet-based systems....plus whatever the Wi-Fi site charges you for access...works good....but, of course must be within a few miles of a Wi-Fi access point....so, doesn't work offshore...]


Note the Iridium Pilot is an expensive up-front solution, and takes up valuable rail space for the aerial, but if you are going to be onboard and away for some time, the reduced useage fees over the handhelds, and the faster download speeds make it a very viable option.

I hope this helps....


Fair winds..

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Scott Berg]

Hmmm, I go sailing to get away from internet access! Email over HF is fine and downloaded current weather files important but again, that's using the HF radio(s) we have. WiFi is ok when anchored but after a career in high tech the break while on passage is wonderful...

[hellosailor]

Scott-
I have to agree with you. I fondly recall taking a four-day break from a crazy 24x7 job where everyone was expected to be available all the time, and telling the boss that if they needed to reach me, here was the procedure for a high seas radiotelephone call. And oh, by the way, it might cost four or five dollars per minute and we'd only be monitoring calls once an hour, more or less, so they might want to make sure it was really important before trying to call.
What a pleasure not to have the phone ring with nonsense for three days straight.

Now, how long do you think it will take before "HI, I'm Rachel with Card Services" has an important message for you about your credit cards. On the HF? (VBG)

[ka4wja]

Hey, I'm with 'ya guys....I don't even use e-mail at sea!!
(but, I was just answering questions...)


John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Nikki S]

Does anyone know:
What is the wi-fi like around the Mediterranean - in port?
and while at anchor? (like off a Greek island)
and while sailing? (is it possible?)
Is it better in the West than in the East and south?

If I NEED internet good enough to remotely access a server in Australia at fairly high speed (as we rely on the income), from say Tunisia, do you expect I will have to go INMARSAT or VSAT?

thanks for your advice.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by Nikki S

Does anyone know:
What is the wi-fi like around the Mediterranean - in port?
and while at anchor? (like off a Greek island)
and while sailing? (is it possible?)
Is it better in the West than in the East and south?

If I NEED internet good enough to remotely access a server in Australia at fairly high speed (as we rely on the income), from say Tunisia, do you expect I will have to go INMARSAT or VSAT?

thanks for your advice.

Cant answer the first part about the med until the end of this summer (moving the boat down to the Med).

As for the need for internet. That is why I bought the Iridium Pilot. I use pay as you go, but if you are going to be a regular user, you can get pretty good download speeds. The faster the download, and the more data, the more it costs, but its still a lot cheaper than Inmarsat.

[monte]

for the med we find local phone sims the best option, good for up to 10M offshore, mostly 3g speeds so pretty fast, rates are around 30 euro/month for 6 gig of data depending on the country