Ferries to surf the net

Moovera Networks, a manufacturer of industrial-strength wireless communications products, has teamed up with Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries to provide in-ship broadband connections for passengers.

Wightlink ferries travelling between the Isle of Wight and the mainland towns of Portsmouth and Lymington will be installed with the Moovbox M Series mobile broadband gateway. This will provide internet access at speeds up to 3.6 Mbps by providing a link between a vessel and T-Mobile's next-generation 3G High Speed Packet Access cellular broadband network.

The Moovbox also offers Ethernet connectivity for ship systems, secure Wi-Fi for crew laptops, and includes built-in GPS for real-time real-time location monitoring.

"[The Moovbox] will ensure our captains and crew have instant access to online resources throughout the voyage," said Andrew Willson, Wightlink's chief executive.

"We're also laying the foundation for public Wi-Fi hotspot services as we continually seek ways to improve the passenger experience."

Wightlink's fleet of eight car ferries and three FastCats carries over 5.5 million passengers every year across 68,000 sailings.