Cobham SATCOM has already won contracts to supply VSAT satellite communications systems for two SSCVs being built by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu, with four more FPSO build options available next year. Cobham SATCOM's innovative solutions focus on system performance to improve the end user experience.

SINGAPORE-Cobham SATCOM will provide VSAT communication systems for two FPSOs currently under construction in China, with four more SSCV build options available next year. The order for Ku-band SAILOR VSAT equipment was completed by Europe International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., a system integrator who joined Cobham's Asia Pacific distribution network in March 2016.

The undisclosed European owners are existing Cobham customers who have previously installed Sea Tel and SAILOR VSAT equipment on their ships. The reliability, performance and quality of the existing equipment system are listed as key factors in the latest order of Cobham SATCOM. The two SSCVs are being built at the shipyard of China Merchants Heavy Industries in Nantong, Jiangsu.

"We are delighted to be working with Ou Cheng and celebrating such a prestigious contract in advance of our partnership with us," said Mr. Cheng-Yu Tang, Chief Representative of Cobham China. "We have discussed with Ou Cheng how to expand our partnership by expanding the relationship between the two parties, including land-based application solutions."

Preparations for the deployment of the Sea Tel 9711 IMA system are already underway and will be installed on the first new construction project in December, and the second will be installed in the spring of 2018.

Due to the layout of the SSCV project, the VSAT antenna will be installed about 150m away from the FPSO superstructure, which is much farther than a typical installation. In order to prevent attenuation of the signal when passing through this distance, fiber optic cables will be used instead of traditional coaxial cables to connect the antenna to the upper deck unit (ADU) located on the superstructure. The ADU is connected to a modem, which is the interface to the ship's IT network.

Ms. Sun Rong, Vice President of Ou Cheng, explained: "The decision to use optical fiber is to avoid the risk of signal loss in abnormal situations and to ensure that the quality of the connection will not deteriorate. This emphasis on optimizing system performance will ultimately pay off, resulting in an improved end-user experience."

The high-specification Sea Tel VSAT system has become the default communication technology for floating offshore platforms, including SSCVs, jack-up rigs, and floating storage regasification units (FSRUs). Due to the long deployment time and relatively large number of personnel, offshore operators have long recognized the importance of providing a high level of crew welfare. Today, this undoubtedly includes reliable access to the Internet. VSAT is actually the only satellite technology that can provide enough bandwidth to meet this requirement. With crew welfare being a major driver, customers are also considering further expanding entertainment options from Cobham Satellite Communications's TVRO.

Sea Tel 9711 is a 3-axis stabilized integrated over-water antenna system with a 2.4-meter diameter radially offset diameter antenna that can operate in the C and Ku bands. It has a switchable feed and sub-reflector, combined with specially designed software, the system can switch between two frequencies without manual intervention, thereby eliminating any downtime of the ship's IT network.

The extended Internet user interface features remote management and can be accessed from virtually any Internet capable device. It uses industry-standard encryption protocols to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating computer applications, and ensures a high level of security against cyber risks.