Isle of Wight ferries to go online

Surfing will soon be plain sailing

People travelling on Wightlink Isle of Wight ferries will soon be able to access the internet on their journeys.

The company has teamed up with wireless provider Moovera Networks to install a broadband connection in ferries running between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth or Lymington.

Currently the service is only available to the captain and crew, who will be able to access speeds of up to 3.6 Mbits/sec and view real-time GPS-based ship locations.

However, Wightlink has said it will extend this service to passengers in the near future, although times and prices have yet to be announced.

Andrew Willson, chief executive at Wightlink said: “By equipping our ferries with always-on, high-speed broadband technology, we’re able to ensure our captains and crew have instant access to online resources throughout the voyage.

“We’re also laying the foundation for public Wifi hotspot services as we continually seek ways to improve the passenger experience.”

The company has eight car ferries and three Fastcats and carries more than 5.5 million passengers, 1.2 million cars, and almost 200,000 coaches a year.