Marlink Provides Services
Marlink, the world’s largest maritime satellite communications provider, has recently signed a new five year agreement with French-flag cruise line, Companie du Ponant. As part of the new contract, Marlink will deliver and install its Sealink Ku-band and C-band services onboard three existing vessels, ‘Le Ponant’, ‘Le Levant’ and ‘Le Diamant’, as well as two new builds planned for 2010, ‘Le Boreal’ and ‘L’Austral’. Companie du Ponant is the number one French-flag cruise line, providing luxury cruises throughout the world. ‘Le Ponant’, the company’s three-mast sailing ship will be installed with a Ku-band antenna, providing the vessel with always-on multi-regional coverage. C-band antennas will be installed onboard the remaining four vessels, providing each ship with 256 kbit/s bandwidth and eight simultaneous prepaid and postpaid telephone channels.
“With our cruise ships sailing to popular destinations all over the world, it is imperative that we provide passengers and crew with the facility to stay in touch with friends and family ashore. Marlink has been able to provide us with high quality, customized satellite communications solutions to meet our specific bandwidth and coverage requirements,” comments Pierre Thomas, IT Manager, Companie du Ponant.
Companie du Ponant is a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest container shipping companies CMA CGM and has been operating within the high-end cruise market for twenty years. ‘Le Ponant’ will be the first vessel to benefit from Marlink’s services, with installation onboard the vessel planned for next month. Marlink will then install its services onboard the other four vessels, concluding in May 2010, with the new build ‘L’Austral’.
With regional customer service centres to support customers in major regions throughout the world, Marlink acts as one global supplier of maritime VSAT services. The company provides both maritime VSAT and MSS on-demand solutions to a broad range of customers within oil production, drilling, seismic survey, offshore supply, governmental, cruise & ferry, yachts, fishery, liquid transport and dry cargo transport.