An Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

[Via Satellite 05-07-2014] KVH Industries doubled the capacity for its mini-VSAT Broadband network in the West African coast, citing strong maritime traffic and communications demands in the oil and gas sector. Most of the additional Ku-band capacity will assist Offshore Supply Vessels (OSVs), which are crucial for connecting drilling rigs, cargo ships and operations onshore.

This increase in capacity is based off of a model that KVH developed in the Gulf of Mexico, where the mini-VSAT Broadband network provides coverage for OSVs. Demand for satellite communications is increasing in Africa where, in the past three decades, oil reserves have increased 120 percent, and at least 100 billion barrels have yet to be discovered, according to data from the United States Energy Information Administration.