Description of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Description of Business [Abstract]
Description of Business	Description of Business KVH Industries, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company or KVH) designs, develops, manufactures and markets mobile communications products and services for the marine, land mobile and aeronautical markets, and navigation, guidance and stabilization products for both the defense and commercial markets. KVH’s mobile communications products enable customers to receive voice and Internet services, and live digital television via satellite services in marine vessels, recreational vehicles, buses and automobiles as well as live digital television on commercial airplanes while in motion. KVH’s CommBox offers a range of tools designed to increase communication efficiency, reduce costs, and manage network operations. KVH sells and leases its mobile communications products through an extensive international network of dealers and distributors. KVH also sells and leases products directly to end users. KVH offers precision fiber optic gyro (FOG)-based systems that enable platform and optical stabilization, navigation, pointing and guidance. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products also include tactical navigation systems that provide uninterrupted access to navigation and pointing information in a variety of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products are sold directly to U.S. and foreign governments and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. In addition, KVH's guidance and stabilization products are used in numerous commercial products, such as navigation and positioning systems for various applications including precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics and optical stabilization. KVH’s mobile communications service sales include sales earned from satellite voice and Internet airtime services, engineering services provided under development contracts, sales from product repairs, and extended warranty sales. Mobile communications services sales also include the distribution of news, sports, movies, music, and training video content to commercial and leisure customers in the maritime, hotel, and retail markets through KVH Media Group (acquired as Headland Media Limited), the media and entertainment service company that KVH acquired on May 11, 2013, and the distribution of training films and eLearning computer-based training courses to commercial customers in the maritime market through Super Dragon Limited (SDL) and Videotel Marine Asia Limited (VMA, together with SDL referred to as Videotel), a maritime training services company that KVH acquired on July 2, 2014. KVH provides, for monthly fixed and usage fees, satellite connectivity services, including broadband Internet, data and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, to its TracPhone V-series customers. KVH also earns monthly usage fees from third-party satellite connectivity services, including voice, data and Internet services, provided to its Inmarsat and Iridium customers who choose to activate their subscriptions with KVH. KVH’s guidance and stabilization service sales include product repairs, engineering services provided under development contracts and extended warranty sales.

Description of Business

KVH Industries, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company or KVH) designs, develops, manufactures and markets mobile communications products and services for the marine, land mobile and aeronautical markets, and navigation, guidance and stabilization products for both the defense and commercial markets.

KVH’s mobile communications products enable customers to receive voice and Internet services, and live digital television via satellite services in marine vessels, recreational vehicles, buses and automobiles as well as live digital television on commercial airplanes while in motion. KVH’s CommBox offers a range of tools designed to increase communication efficiency, reduce costs, and manage network operations. KVH sells and leases its mobile communications products through an extensive international network of dealers and distributors. KVH also sells and leases products directly to end users.

KVH offers precision fiber optic gyro (FOG)-based systems that enable platform and optical stabilization, navigation, pointing and guidance. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products also include tactical navigation systems that provide uninterrupted access to navigation and pointing information in a variety of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products are sold directly to U.S. and foreign governments and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. In addition, KVH's guidance and stabilization products are used in numerous commercial products, such as navigation and positioning systems for various applications including precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics and optical stabilization.

KVH’s mobile communications service sales include sales earned from satellite voice and Internet airtime services, engineering services provided under development contracts, sales from product repairs, and extended warranty sales. Mobile communications services sales also include the distribution of news, sports, movies, music, and training video content to commercial and leisure customers in the maritime, hotel, and retail markets through KVH Media Group (acquired as Headland Media Limited), the media and entertainment service company that KVH acquired on May 11, 2013, and the distribution of training films and eLearning computer-based training courses to commercial customers in the maritime market through Super Dragon Limited (SDL) and Videotel Marine Asia Limited (VMA, together with SDL referred to as Videotel), a maritime training services company that KVH acquired on July 2, 2014. KVH provides, for monthly fixed and usage fees, satellite connectivity services, including broadband Internet, data and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, to its TracPhone V-series customers. KVH also earns monthly usage fees from third-party satellite connectivity services, including voice, data and Internet services, provided to its Inmarsat and Iridium customers who choose to activate their subscriptions with KVH.

KVH’s guidance and stabilization service sales include product repairs, engineering services provided under development contracts and extended warranty sales.