03b, Harris CapRock create marine VSAT broadband solution for Royal Caribbean

O3b Networks and Harris CapRock Communications have entered into a partnership to create and service a new, advanced satellite broadband solution for the world's biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.

O3b will combine the capabilities of its fleet of Medium-Earth-Orbit (MEO) satellites with Harris CapRock's expertise in integrating maritime VSAT systems to create the O3B Maritime broadband solution for Royal Caribbean. This new broadband service will drastically enhance Internet connectivity aboard Oasis of the Seas and its more than 8,000 passengers, staff, and crew members.

Harris CapRock will serve as 03b Maritime's systems integrator for Oasis of the Seas. In addition to deploying the stabilized VSAT antenna systems on Oasis of the Seas, Harris Caprock will fully manage the system to ensure that the cruise ship receives bandwidth whose quality matches that of high-capacity fiber systems.

O3b and Harris Caprock expect that O3b Maritime will enter service next summer. In addition to cruise ships, O3b and Harris CapRock also predict that maritime VSAT service providers will offer their state-of-the-art broadband solution to super yachts and similar vessels in seas and oceans aside from the Caribbean.