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Harris CapRock brings tri-band antenna to cruise communications

Harris CapRock brings tri-band antenna to cruise communications
Harris CapRock Communications has launched what it claims to be the industry’s first unified, fully managed satellite, wireless and terrestrial connectivity service designed to reduce customers’ voice, data and equipment management costs.

Harris CapRock One is an intelligent, highly-integrated, end-to-end service that transparently switches between the various transport mediums to optimize communications for customers around the globe.

The service provider says customers in the energy and cruise industry, for example, often struggle to obtain reliable, always-on communications when their vessels, drilling sites and ships change their global positions and communications needs.

‘Harris CapRock is going to drastically change the way our clients experience managed communications services,’ said company president Tracey Haslam.

‘Harris CapRock One is the first commercial service of its kind to unify satellite, wireless and terrestrial connectivity into one platform. Customers want a solution that is flexible and optimizes their operations no matter where they are located, or how mobile their assets are.’

Harris CapRock’s new service offering combines a multi-band antenna with an Intelligent Communications Director (ICD). The multi-band antenna allows for C-, Ku- and Ka-band connectivity with no additional moving parts, meaning that any satellite orbiting the earth can be accessed with no technician intervention required.

The ICD is a geographically aware smartbox that recognizes where the multi-band antenna is around the world and carries a database of the network footprints available. The device is aware of the operator’s traffic and can route traffic intelligently over the most appropriate network path based on speed, latency, location and cost. By optimizing the network traffic, the ICD enhances the end-to-end experience, completing an intelligent routing solution with end-to-end application performance management.

Energy and cruise industry businesses can invest in fewer radomes that support any signal and will self-configure for the scenario depending on where the vessel is in the world.

Other telecommunication services supported by Harris CapRock One include fiber, point-to-point and point-to-multi-point radio, WiMax, terrestrial Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), and private and carrier-based Long Term Evolution (LTE). Additionally, Harris CapRock can deploy hybrid networks that leverage multiple transport technologies, providing ‘no touch roaming’ services across a fleet.

The Harris CapRock One solution will be showcased at Cruise Shipping Miami at Booth 1511.