The Wightlink ferry service, which typically runs between the Isle of Wight and several mainland UK towns (e.g. Portsmouth), has reportedly replaced its old Moovera Networks based in-ship broadband wireless Internet connectivity (original 2008 news) with a significantly faster setup from the little know ISP Click4Internet.

The old system claimed to deliver on-board internet access speeds of up to 3.6Mbps by creating a bridge between the ship and T-Mobile UK's Mobile Broadband ( HSPA ) network. Sadly this service suffered from some extremely patchy coverage and the real-world performance turned out to be somewhat disappointing.


It's understood that the Click4internet solutions uses WiMAX wireless technology, which is supported by a strong fibre optic cable based backbone, to deliver its superfast broadband service. As stated above the product is also available in Portsmouth and on the Isle of Wight itself for both home and business use.

Prices for a domestic (home) 10Mbps (3Mbps upload) connection start at just £10 inc. VAT per month with a £249 installation fee. However the minimum contract term of 2 years (24 months) seems a bit excessive. Faster options are available, rising to 50Mbps on business links.