Tech & Wi-Fi
Why is Wi-Fi at sea different from Wi-Fi on land?
If you’ve ever boarded a ship and connected to the onboard Wi-Fi network, you may have wondered: “Why is the connection slower?” or “Why does it cost more than my home Wi-Fi?” The answer is less obvious than it seems and involves a fascinating, invisible and… spatial journey. Yes, because at sea Wi-Fi doesn’t come from a tower just around the corner, but from a satellite in orbit.
16 December 2025
🏡 On land: everything is close, connected and powerful
On land, Internet access is now taken for granted.Connections rely on a dense and widespread network of fiber-optic cables, 4G and 5G transmitters, urban Wi-Fi hotspots and home routers.
Everything is designed to be fast, efficient and close to the user.
When you send a WhatsApp message, your smartphone communicates with a cell tower just a few hundred meters away. From there, data travels through fiber-optic lines and reaches the Internet in no time.
The result? Low latency, high speeds and great stability.
🌊 At sea: a connection that looks to the sky
Things change dramatically as soon as the ship leaves the port. In open sea: there are no cables, there are no towers, there are no repeaters.
It’s like being in a digital desert, where the only possible connection comes from geostationary satellites.
Modern ships are equipped with dynamic satellite antennas that continuously orient and align with satellites located about 36,000 km from Earth.
The journey of your data. When you connect to onboard Wi-Fi, data follows this path:
- Your device connects to the ship’s Wi-Fi access point
- Data is sent to the satellite antenna
- The signal reaches the satellite in orbit
- The satellite retransmits it to a ground station
- From there, traffic is routed onto the Internet
A round trip of over 70,000 km — completed in just a few seconds!
🚫 Why is it sometimes slower (and more expensive)?
Receiving Wi-Fi from the sky is impressive, but also technically complex. That’s why Internet at sea can be slower or more expensive:
- Distance and latency: The farther data has to travel, the longer it takes to get a response. This is especially noticeable during video calls, streaming, online gaming.
- Weather conditions: Heavy rain, dense clouds or storms can interfere with the radio signal.
- Congestion: Available bandwidth is limited. If hundreds of passengers connect at the same time, speed decreases for everyone.
- Infrastructure costs: Satellite systems require advanced equipment, contracts with space operators, continuous maintenance. All of this impacts the final cost for users.
🚀 How Seafy simplifies all this
Seafy was created to make Internet access at sea simpler and more immediate. The system is designed to be:
🔗 Intuitive: You connect to onboard Wi-Fi and access a clear, easy-to-use portal
🌐 Accessibile: puoi acquistare un voucher per navigare in base alle tue esigenze
📱 Optimized: Packages are designed for the available network, offering the best possible experience while sailing
Seafy is available on many Mediterranean routes thanks to partnerships with:
- 🛳 Grimaldi Lines
- 🛳 GNV * (*GNV Spirit & GNV Allegra)
- 🛳 Corsica Sardinia Ferries
🌍 In conclusion
Today, even in the middle of the sea, staying connected is possible. But behind that simple “connected to the Internet” lies a system that is sophisticated, ingenious and literally connected to space.
Next time you check a notification or upload a photo from a ship, remember:
Your data is traveling between Earth and space before coming back to you. 🚀
With Seafy, technology becomes simple — even on the open sea.
✉️ Did you find this article useful? Share it with those who love to travel and stay connected!