VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)

A VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a two-way satellite ground terminal with a relatively small stabilized antenna, typically under 2.4 m, providing always-on maritime broadband over Ku, Ka, or C-band. Vessels run VSAT as the main data link for crew internet, voice, and operational traffic, usually with an L-band service such as FleetBroadband as automatic backup. The terminal connects through a teleport hub to terrestrial networks. Maritime VSAT plans use committed information rates, shared bandwidth pools, or bandwidth-on-demand depending on the airtime contract.