The recently launched second ViaSat-3 satellite is set to more than double the capacity of Viasats entire network.
Inmarsat Maritime, part of Viasat, has announced a major advancement of its NexusWave bonded connectivity platform, timed with the launch of the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite and ahead of the upcoming ViaSat-3 Flight 3 mission. With both satellites expected to enter commercial service in 2026, NexusWave customers will gain access to significantly expanded bandwidth delivered through a new generation of maritime terminals. The added capacity from VS3 Flight 2 over the Americas and VS3 Flight 3 over Asia-Pacific will give early adopters a substantial leap in performance, ensuring more reliable speeds and greater flexibility to meet evolving operational demands.
NexusWave is Inmarsats fully managed, multi-orbit, bonded communications service that integrates GEO Ka-band, LEO, LTE and L-band networks into one intelligent connectivity solution. With the ultra-high-capacity ViaSat-3 satellites entering the system, vessels will benefit from faster data throughput and greater network efficiency, supporting large-scale digitalisation, crew welfare applications and an onboard internet experience comparable to home or office environments.
Central to this upgrade is the new VS60 maritime terminal, developed by Intellian with Viasats software-defined radio technology. Designed for the ViaSat-3 era, the VS60 enhances NexusWaves architecture and is capable of powering bandwidth-heavy operations including enterprise networking, video streaming, crew services and mission-critical applications. Sea trials have already demonstrated download speeds surpassing 250 Mbps. The VS60 also incorporates multiple security layers to protect data and ensure robust operational performance.
The ViaSat-3 satellites further introduce more than 1,000 steerable spot beams, enabling bandwidth to be dynamically allocated to areas of high demand across major shipping routes, ports and offshore zones.
Gert-Jan Panken, Vice President, Inmarsat Maritime, said: “The combination of NexusWaves bonded, multi-orbit architecture, and the new ViaSat-3-ready terminal developed with Intellian puts us in a strong position to support the operational priorities of global fleets. It reinforces our long-term commitment to reliability, security, and customer experience at sea, and enables fleets to scale seamlessly with future capacity as the network expands.”
Ben Palmer OBE, President, Viasat Commercial, added: “NexusWave was built to deliver consistent performance in an increasingly complex connectivity landscape. As ViaSat-3 capacity becomes available, were taking another big step forward for our customers and partners by bringing more bandwidth, better flexibility, and a forward-thinking upgrade path to ensure connected confidence for the future.”
