O3b Networks, a global satellite service provider, has announced O3bMaritime.

“Innovative cruise ship operators will be able to significantly enhance guest satisfaction through fast, affordable broadband connections,” said the company, in a prepared statement. “O3bMaritime will deliver over 500 Mbps in aggregate bandwidth to a single vessel.”

“For cruise ship guests and crew, heading for the high seas has meant leaving high-speed broadband services behind,” said John Finney, Chief Commercial Officer for O3b. “It’s an ocean travel tradition that O3bMaritime will turn into a thing of the past, with fast, fiber-like connections that deliver the same high-quality Internet access and broadband experience at sea as guests are used to at home.”

The only offshore solution to deploy dedicated steerable beams, O3bMaritime will track a ship’s course continuously, optimizing performance for the guests onboard.

O3bMaritime will be launched in the next 12 months, company executives confirmed to Cruise Industry News.