United Federation of Planets Communications - Communications Array Alpha

But isn't the RI a Nova variant? Therefore making it a Nova class? Just the same as the Excelsior and the Lakota/Enterprise B.

Indeed

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/USS_Rhode_Island

it is still an updated version of the ship, meaning its not the same as the old, its like saying the 360 is just an updated version of the original X-Box