Motor yacht gets a connectivity surge

New Zealand is something of a summer paradise for all boat owners wandering the Pacific; something to look forward to during the cold and wet winters. During those weathered times, many vessels undergo upgrades to be ready for the summer season, with one of the most important and essential being onboard connectivity. This is the reason the owner of a 24-metre sports motor yacht recently reached out to Global Marine Technology Services (GMTS) — a premium supplier of technology solutions to the marine, defence and super yacht sectors.

The challenge

Any vessel needs a reliable and secure network for optimal functionality and safe travels, whether it be for pleasure or business, entertainment or navigation.

According to the owner, the motor yacht’s current network relied on technology that was “outdated and inefficient”. Poor onboard experience, non-user-friendly interfaces and devices not operating optimally led the owner to take action and upgrade the vessel’s network to a bespoke solution, finally obtaining a stable and secure connection.

The solution

GMTS’s Peplink partner operating in New Zealand tailored a package that satisfied all the owner’s requirements. At the heart of the solution, they deployed a Balance 20X, bonding one cellular together with a Starlink Maritime for a more reliable connection.

A 16-port rugged switch was also required for wired devices, including an AP One AX that was installed in a central, optimal location to provide better Wi-Fi coverage onboard the motor yacht.

The result

The owner’s expectations were exceeded, thanks to a significant boost in the motor yacht’s network. The new infrastructure allowed guests to take advantage of the fast Wi-Fi internet connection for entertainment, while providing the crew with crucial communications and navigation.

Additionally, the Kiwi partner has made its locally hosted FusionHubs available whenever the motor yacht may want to establish a SpeedFusion tunnel. This has been requested by many clients who don’t want to compromise their time onboard and want to watch local New Zealand content while sailing in other countries such as Fiji, Tonga and New Caledonia.

Image credit: iStock.com/Iacob MADACI