Middletown-based KVH Industries, in a major step toward expanding availability of its broadband service, has signed a five-year agreement with GE International Holdings Inc., to lease capacity on its GE-23 satellite to provide coverage in the Pacific Ocean. Expected to go live in December, the new coverage area will include Alaska, the west coasts of Canada and the United States, Hawaii and extend into Asia. It represents a significant expansion in the availability of KVH’s increasingly popular Internet and voice service as well as a milestone in its effort to provide affordable mobile broadband connections around the globe. “The extension of mini-VSAT broadband coverage into the Pacific will allow us to support a significant portion of the world’s shipping lanes, including blue-water coverage between Asia and ports in the U.S. and Canada,” said Martin Kits van Heyningen, company chief executive officer. “Broadband connections at sea are essential for shipboard business activities, more efficient operations and compliance with increased regulatory requirements. In addition, affordable broadband Internet, e-mail and telephone services are vital as a means of improving the quality of life and the morale of the crew.”