COMSAT Mobile Communications has signed a three-year agreement with Cunard Line to provide worldwide data and voice satellite communications to Cunard's fleet of eight cruise ships, including its flagship the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE 2).
COMSAT's service offerings virtually double the capacity of satellite communications available to crew and passengers on all Cunard Line Limited luxury ships. The increased capacity will allow both passengers and crew greater access to e-mail, online services, and telephone service.
In addition to services being provided via the Inmarsat satellite system, COMSAT is also supplying a new 128 kbps C-Band service for the QE 2. The system aboard the QE 2 provides one of the most advanced shipboard satellite communications solutions available today.
The system will permit simultaneous transmission of large amounts of data for Wide Area Networking, voice and dial-up data phone calls, facsimile messages, internet access, and videoconferencing.
"Selecting COMSAT Mobile Communications to provide data and voice satellite communications for the Cunard and Seabourn fleet is part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing our guests' experience," said Larry Rapp, vice president, Hotel Operations for Cunard Line Limited, parent company of Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line.
"Not only are we committed to providing impeccable service onboard our luxury vessels, but also to providing state-of-the-art communications to meet our guests' needs," added Rapp.
"COMSAT makes it possible for cruise lines to offer economical, high- quality, and reliable communications. Our services improve the efficiency of ship operations and are designed to keep both passengers and crew in touch with the office, clients and home," said Tom Collins, vice president and general manager of COMSAT Mobile Communications. "Everything from inventory control and passenger manifest processing to payroll administration and ship services can be performed using COMSAT's communications services."
Cunard Line operates the Queen Elizabeth 2, Royal Viking Sun, Vistafjord, Sea Goddess I, and Sea Goddess II. And its subsidiary Seabourn Cruise Line operates three, all-suite sister ships: the Seabourn Pride, the Seabourn Spirit, and the Seabourn Legend.
COMSAT Mobile Communications (CMC) provides service over Inmarsat GEO birds, in combination with COMSAT's global network of land earth stations. CMC is a business unit of COMSAT Corporation that provides maritime, aeronautical, and land mobile satellite services to customers around the world via the Inmarsat satellite system.
