M2MBlue B.V.

• Combination of several mobile providers
• Distinct increase in availability, resilience, and bandwidth
• Flexible adaptation of data volume during peak times
• Cost reduction by scarcer use of satellite links

Connecting river cruise vessels and super yachts to the Internet is challenging: They are constantly in motion and they cross not only regions with possibly poor mobile reception but also country borders. In addition, customers of river cruises usually leave their ships for adventures and return in large groups, creating a sudden traffic peak when mobile phones, tablets and laptops are used for communication and entertainment. While M2MBlue was able to provide broadband Internet all along, their goal was to enhance their connectivity solution by bonding several mobile data links to form one highly available, resilient, and flexible connection for all applications that would resist poor mobile reception, crossing borders, and traffic peaks while at the same time being easily manageable and more economic.

M2MBlue already operated a solution that consisted of VSAT elements and a single modem. In order to achieve higher bandwidths by bonding, Multichannel VPN Routers 1610 or 2620—depending on circumstances—were equipped with several 4G or LTE 450 Hotplug Modules for different mobile providers and securely implemented to complement the existing solution. For best reception, high-quality antennas were added to the ships’ roofs. As a second step, four Multichannel VPN Hubs 5010 were implemented in one of M2MBlue’s data centers to create a highly secure bonded VPN connection with the ships out at the sea and rivers. Subsequently, separate WiFi networks for the ships’ internal appliances used for management and communication with the home base on the one hand and user services like TV, VoD, Skype and data exchange in general on the other hand were set up. Through all phases of the project, M2MBlue was able to rely on the technical expertise of the Viprinet support team whenever needed.