Seeking cost-effective media services such as IP radio/TV and video applications like Facetime and teleconferencing the motor yacht Samarhas installed the Pharostar service.
The Pharostar VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is able to ensure that always available when a yacht owner or their guests are on board. Available from Airbus Defence and Space and service provider partner e3 Systems it meets the seasonal needs of superyachts in core regions with flexible support for yacht owners and crew.
Robert Corcoran, Captain of Samar the 77m Laurent Giles designed luxury motor yacht built in the UK said, “We don’t need the levels of bandwidth required for a good media streaming experience all the time so it’s important that we have the flexibility to increase and decrease bandwidth with ease.”
He explains, “Likewise, only paying for services for the duration we spend in a region helps to keep costs reasonable, whilst still having sufficient bandwidth available for guest and crew connectivity at all times. In order to operate efficiently in terms of budget and capabilities, the flexibility we have for our connectivity is vital.”
Erik Nieuwmeijer, Sales Director e3 Systems explains, “One of the main applications required when the owner is on board Samaris IP media streaming. It’s not needed when the owner is absent though, so we offer the functionality to just switch to a higher bandwidth service whenever they like,” comments.
He adds, “Streaming media services require a stable and reliable connection and it’s our goal to provide high quality connectivity at a reasonable cost. We’re pleased to report that the satisfaction level for media streaming is very high, which is thanks to the quality of Airbus Defence and Space’s network backbone.”
In addition to bandwidth flexibility, the seasonal nature of many superyacht itineraries demands a customised approach to providing regional VSAT coverage. Rather than global service, savings can be made by choosing coverage only in the areas Samar is sailing, with automatic switching when crossing over to the next region, resulting in seamless connectivity.
With almost global coverage, Airbus Defence and Space provides E3 Systems with a Pharostar solution for Samar that can be amended to the superyacht’s requirements at any time: It covers North America and the Caribbean in winter months and Europe during the summer.