October 1, 2014
After launching its Terrestrial Broadband Network
(TBN) just more than one year ago, MTN
Communications (MTN) announces the number of
TBN-connected cruise ships has doubled and covered
regions have tripled.
Since the MTN TBN
kick-off in Alaska in the Summer 2013 cruise season,
several MTN partners, including Norwegian Cruise
Line and Princess Cruises, are leveraging this new
technology to enrich their passenger and crew
communications experience. Thanks in part to
this new technology, the MTN hybrid network now
delivers approximately 10 Terabytes of data daily.
The company enabled more than 33 million Internet
logins last year.
The MTN TBN optimizes the onboard bandwidth
available to passengers and crew, especially when
their ships enter port. TBN connectivity
enables up to six times more bandwidth for
communications and content sharing on the ship.
Passengers and crew can now bring their daily online
requirements to sea – including access to social
media, infotainment, content and more.
Passengers and crew today expect faster, land-like
connectivity at sea. The challenge for
operators has been staying ahead of demand while
dealing with the cost of adding what has
traditionally been only satellite bandwidth.
MTN is a proven provider that enables disparate
systems from multiple providers to seamlessly work
together for “smart hand-off and switch over,” with
a focus on user experience, cost and revenue growth.
MTN launched its TBN as one key component of its
advanced hybrid communications ecosystem. It
is transforming communications at sea by enabling
ships to connect through a first-ever hybrid network
that seamlessly switches from satellite to the TBN,
delivering higher network performance and speeds.
This ecosystem is powered through smart computing
and caching for super-efficient use of bandwidth
onboard. And the company’s new Connect@Sea
Internet platform delivers a higher level of
service, along with new per-megabyte billing versus
per-minute. The MTN TBN also optimizes
corporate IT data so it flows through vessel
networks more efficiently, freeing up space for
additional applications.
Since launching the TBN on cruise ships in Alaska
last year, the company has expanded this new form of
connectivity beyond Alaska. MTN access points
now cover the East and West Coasts of the U.S., the
Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom,
the highest trafficked cruising areas.
“The reason behind
launching the MTN TBN was to allow our customers to
leverage a more practical communications ‘pipe’
while in port, versus costly satellite bandwidth,”
said Brent Horwitz, senior vice president and
general manager, cruise and ferry services, MTN.
“In addition, the TBN enables greater throughput on
the vessel for increasing IT and corporate
communications demands. This differentiator
delivers higher Internet speeds, a perk for crew
retention and satisfaction. Crew no longer
have to get off their ship and spend port days
online catching up with family and personal
business. Now they can quickly connect right
from their ship, freeing up time for them to better
enjoy being in-port. This also creates an
improved passenger experience. Lastly, it
generates further revenue for the operator.”
