3G, 4G, LTE ,LTE-A modems come in multiple shapes and sizes.  The most important difference which will also influence the price signficantly is the cellular communication module inside the device.  These can be entry level 3G units if you only need to transfer small volumes of data at up to 20 Mbps or the more expensive LTE-A cat-12 modules achieving up to 600 Mbps and more per modem.

While high speed might be the ultimate goal, the most important would be to be connected even when you are far away from the Cellular Tower.  At this stage the type of antenna used (omnidirectional or directional and which bands they support) becomes very importance and will make the difference between being connected or not.  Proper antenna choice can extend your reach from a few miles to up to 20 and more.

Single Channel Units have a single cellular modem which, depending on the model, is bound to certain frequency bands and geographical regions.  Always check whether the unit matches the frequencies used in your area and that your antennas match the frequencies as well in case of separate antennas.

BELOW DECK vs ABOVE DECK Terminals

The purpose of our maritime cellular terminals is to guarantee you an as stable and distant data connection as possible. To achieve this we are committed gain as much signal as possible and to reduce signal loss to the bare minimum.

While antennas are usually mounted high up a mast we often discover the actual cellular router to be below deck.  While this makes access to the cellular router easier it also adds in cabling between the cellular router and the actual antenna. The benefit (gain) of the antenna is then often lost due to the attenuation (signal loss) of the longer cables. This results in poorer reception, lower speeds, higher latency and diminished range.

At Satmarin Exoflux we put the cellular routers as close as possible to the antennas and are able to achieve minimal signal loss and increased stability, gain, speed and distance.

The drawback of above deck cellular routers is that if a SIM card needs to be changed in the unit this can be less convenient than when the unit is below deck.  But then how often do you switch SIM cards? While this can be a concern when switching SIM cards often, we believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a landslide

Below Deck

Teltonika RUT955-G

The RUT955 is a highly reliable GLOBAL industrial LTE Cat 4 router that delivers high performance and GNSS location capabilities up to 150 Mbps download.

It is equipped with connectivity redundancy via Dual SIM failover.  SIMs are accessible below deck where the unit is installed.

It is packed with advanced software features, like Modbus, SNMP, TR-069, NTRIP, MQTT, and multiple VPN services.

The RUT955 is standard equipped with internal antennas and can optionally be configured with dual maritime external 3G/4G antennas.

Above Deck

SOLO 41

Integrated Global CAT4 single SIM, external omni LTE router, perfect outdoor device for  yachts, boats, campers, RV etc.

The SOLO 41 is an integrated complete solution with embedded router and multi band antennas in one enclosure capable of achieving speeds up to 150 Mbps