Selection guide
Three links, three distances, one handover strategy
A vessel rarely needs one link — it needs the cheapest link that works at the position it is in. The three options differ mainly in range, and the design work is in the handover between them rather than in any single box.
Range is the first filter
Shore cellular reaches about 35 nautical miles, subject to the carrier's coverage. An auto-tracking microwave link reaches up to 100 km between ship and shore, and can also form a mesh between two mobile stations. VSAT has no range limit inside the satellite footprint and covers the ocean passages the other two cannot.
Those three ranges are not a ladder where one replaces another. They are a sequence: inside 35 nautical miles cellular is the cheapest bandwidth a vessel can buy; between there and roughly 100 km a microwave link carries high throughput without airtime cost; beyond that, satellite is the only option and the only one with a recurring bandwidth charge.
| Decision point | 4G/5G marine antenna | Microwave auto-tracking | VSAT terminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working range | Near-coast, up to ~35 nautical miles | Up to 100 km ship–shore; ship–ship mesh | Global, within the satellite footprint |
| Documented throughput | Not published — carrier dependent | 200–300 Mbps | Service dependent |
| Recurring cost | Carrier data plan | No airtime | Satellite airtime |
| Typical hardware | Radome with built-in 5G NR module, 4×LAN + 1×WAN, 2 SIM | Auto-tracking servo pedestal | Stabilized-on-the-move antenna |
| Band | 698–960 / 1710–4000 MHz | 5.x GHz (4.9–6.5 GHz) | Ka / Ku / C |
| Failure mode to plan for | Leaving carrier coverage | Line of sight and range | Rain fade and footprint edge |
Figures from the 2026 manufacturer catalogue pages 21–22 (4G/5G), 25–26 (microwave) and 27–28 (VSAT). The 4G/5G catalogue page publishes no throughput figure.
The cellular half, in detail
The 4G/5G antenna receives the shore base-station signal and converts it into onboard internet. The documented unit carries a built-in 5G NR module, four gigabit LAN ports and one WAN port, RS232 console and RS485, two SIM slots, and supports NR/EN-DC, FDD and TDD LTE, WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA+ and TD-SCDMA — which is another way of saying it is an integrated router and antenna in one radome, not a passive antenna.
The design point that matters is that it is documented to run alongside VSAT with automatic priority switching: the ship uses the shore link while it has coverage and falls back to satellite when it does not. That combination is what makes coastal fleets economical without giving up offshore capability.
The microwave half, in detail
A shipborne microwave link does the job where satellite is expensive or unnecessary: a vessel working a fixed area within sight of shore, or two vessels that need to talk to each other. The unit carries its own servo and follows the far end automatically instead of relying on a fixed land-station alignment.
The documented operating band is 5.x GHz (4.9–6.5 GHz) with LTE point-to-point and mesh topologies, working range up to 100 km and throughput of 200–300 Mbps depending on configuration. There is no satellite segment, so latency is low and there is no recurring bandwidth cost — the trade is that the link depends on line of sight and range.
Where VSAT is not optional
Ocean passages, offshore installations beyond microwave range, and any requirement that has to work regardless of position. The stabilized terminal keeps pointing at the satellite while the vessel moves, and the documented service set covers internet, voice, video and information services plus remote assistance and remote diagnostics.
Band choice follows the route rather than the hardware: Ka generally buys the most capacity but is rain-fade sensitive and footprint-specific; Ku is the widest choice for mixed routes; C band holds up better in heavy rain and low-elevation tropical passes. All three are listed for the VSAT terminal, with the actual service set fixed by the satellite operator.
Putting them together
The practical configuration for a coastal-to-regional vessel is cellular plus satellite with automatic priority switching: the cheaper shore link carries the load inside coverage and the satellite carries it outside. Add a microwave link when the vessel works a fixed area with a shore station in sight and the throughput requirement is high — 200–300 Mbps is not something a cellular link at 35 nautical miles will promise.
What you are buying in that arrangement is not three systems, it is one handover policy. Decide which link has priority, what happens at the boundary, and whether the crew can see which link is active — then specify the hardware to that policy.
Cellular alone
- Harbour craft, ferries and fishing vessels that stay inside carrier coverage
- Cost-sensitive operation, where 35 nautical miles is enough
- A first connectivity step that will later be paired with VSAT
Microwave instead
- A vessel working a fixed area with a shore station in line of sight
- High throughput needed without recurring airtime cost
- Two vessels that must form a link with each other on the move
VSAT as the backbone
- Ocean passages and any position outside cellular and microwave range
- Remote diagnostics or assistance as an operational requirement
- A route that crosses several footprints and needs continuity
Sources: the 2026 manufacturer catalogue pages 21–22, 25–26, 27–28.
Buyer questions
4G/5G vs VSAT vs microwave
Can cellular and VSAT run at the same time?+−
Yes — the documented configuration pairs the 4G/5G antenna with VSAT and switches priority automatically, so the vessel uses the shore link inside coverage and the satellite outside it.
How fast is the 4G/5G antenna?+−
The catalogue does not publish a throughput figure for it; speed depends on the carrier, the band and the distance to the base station. What it does publish is the RF and interface specification — gain, beamwidth, ports and SIM handling.
Does the microwave link need a licence?+−
Not stated in the catalogue. 5.x GHz links typically require coordination in the country of operation, so confirm licensing before specifying a shore station.
What happens at the boundary between links?+−
That is a policy decision, not a hardware one: whether the handover is automatic priority switching or a manual change, and how long the interruption lasts. Specify it with the integrator and test it on a passage rather than at the dock.