MIDDLETOWN, R.I., September 11, 2003 /PRNewswire

Crew Calling Made Easy Thanks to Free Inmarsat
Crew Phones from KVH Industries

When you are at sea, you want to stay in touch with your friends, family, and business ashore. The same goes for your crew and passengers, but not every vessel owner is willing to foot the bill for the crew's airtime charges. Now, an exciting promotion from Inmarsat and KVH Industries (Nasdaq: KVHI) makes crew and passenger calling easy and affordable for everyone. KVH is offering a free Inmarsat crew phone system (valued at $2,000) with either the purchase of any new Tracphone system or the activation of a new Inmarsat Airtime by KVH account. The free crew phone uses prepaid calling cards, enabling crew and passengers to purchase the airtime they need and use the vessel's Tracphone antenna to call home at their convenience but not at the boat owner's expense.

“Crew and passenger calling is a critical component to maintaining excellent morale on any vessel,” explains Ian Palmer, KVH vice president of satellite sales. “People need the reassurance of being able to pick up the phone and hear the voices of their loved ones and colleagues, wherever they happen to be cruising. KVH’s Tracphone antennas, Inmarsat Airtime by KVH, and the free Inmarsat crew phones make this an affordable and invaluable addition to any commercial or passenger ship’s communication system.”

Inmarsat’s new crew phone and prepaid phone cards are a great way for vessel owners to provide access to the ship’s communication system without worrying about airtime charges. On fishing, commercial, or deep-sea vessels, the crew phone can be conveniently located in a recreation area away from the bridge. The crew phone is also ideal for use on yachts, charter vessels, ferries, and cruise ships, allowing passengers to stay in touch with their world ashore. And since users pay for their own calls by purchasing phone cards, no surprise airtime charges appear on the vessel owner’s bill.

The Inmarsat crew phones can be used with any Inmarsat satellite communication service (except Inmarsat A) as well as with any Inmarsat-compatible antenna. The crew phone includes a handset, junction box, mounting hardware, dialer control unit, and quick reference guides. The free crew phone promotion is available with a purchase of a new Tracphone system from KVH, including the award-winning, mini-M-compatible Tracphone 252 and Tracphone 50, as well as the Fleet-compatible Tracphone F55 and F77 antennas, with the latter offering global access to high-speed Internet and voice service.

“KVH also offers a comprehensive suite of Inmarsat airtime services at extremely competitive rates for use with any Inmarsat-compatible system,” continued Palmer. “We are pleased to offer these free phones to all Inmarsat users who switch their account to Inmarsat Airtime by KVH. We are proud to offer customers a complete and convenient satellite communications solution that brings together our award-winning satellite antenna systems, Inmarsat’s market-leading global communications services, and now the convenience of crew calling.”

The free Inmarsat Crew Phone Promotion is valid through good until July 31st, 2004, or while supplies last. For complete details on the promotion, contact you local KVH dealer, Concord Marine Electronics.