How it works

In brief

Broadcast satellites are used to deliver high speed data to ships via a satellite television antenna. Data from the vessel is sent via the ship’s existing communications terminal(s).

Typical broadband experience

For the user on board, the internet experience is similar to that of using broadband internet on shore. No extra software is needed, and internet surfing and data retrieval is done using any standard software.

Step by step guide


Diagram to show how Wired Ocean broadband works

A web address is entered, or database or email system accessed, from any connected computer, and sent to the Wired Ocean S-Box.

The S-Box optimises the data request for efficient transmission and sends it via the satcom or cellular system on board to Wired Ocean’s network operations hub. The S-Box also maintains a cache of web page data that has been previously received. If any elements of the requested data have been previously received and are unchanged, they will be served directly from the cache and are not included in the billable volume.

Wired Ocean’s network operations hub retrieves the requested data from the internet and applies optimisation techniques to the data before transmitting it through the selected satellite.

The data is returned, via the ship’s satellite TV antenna. The S-Box ensures that the data is correctly received, and integrates it with any relevant data from the cache. It then delivers the data to the requesting computer.

When outside coverage areas

When outside Wired Ocean’s coverage the S-Box falls back to using the vessel’s mobile communications system(s) to send and receive data.

Diagram to show how Wired Ocean broadband works outside coverage areas