30 June, 2016

Marlink, the global business critical communication solutions specialist, selected Intelsat to deliver fast, high quality Intelsat EpicNG broadband connectivity to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) cruise ships. At the end of May, MSC Cruises began to apply the benefits of EpicNG’s high throughput connectivity aboard the MSC Divina, one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Utilizing Intelsat’s Globalized Network, Marlink will provide broadband connectivity to all of MSC Cruises’ 12 existing ships, ensuring all of the Company’s ships will be covered globally.

Passengers and crew members are demanding mobile broadband on par with the speeds and reliability experienced at home. The agreement with Intelsat enables Marlink to supplement its existing maritime VSAT services with Sealink Cloud Services to one of the world’s largest, and fastest growing cruise lines. As a result, MSC Cruises will be able to deliver high speed, reliable and affordable connectivity packages to passengers and crew members anywhere the cruise ships travel. 
 
Under the existing long-term partnership agreement signed in 2014, Marlink will take advantage of the flexibility and scale of Intelsat’s fully interoperable and integrated satellite network to provide MSC Cruises with global coverage for their worldwide itineraries. Marlink will use wide beam C- and Ku-band satellite solutions from nine Intelsat satellites initially, as well as Ku-band high throughput spot beams from Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG fleet, and Intelsat 33e, once it enters service in the second half of the year. 
 
Marlink will also leverage the IntelsatOne terrestrial network, specifically teleports located in Georgia and California in the U.S., as well as Germany and South Korea. 

“When serving a ‘floating town’ such as a cruise ship with connectivity requirements for its various itineraries globally, delivering consistent quality and reliability is essential to the passenger experience and the brand integrity of the customer that we are serving,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink.  “With Intelsat, we are providing a scalable and robust solution to MSC Cruises, delivering on high volume broadband demands across many ships operating in high-traffic regions. The high performing, resilient and secure network will enable our customer to further streamline vessel operations, deliver superior services to its crew and most importantly, keep thousands of passengers on each of their ships connected at all times.”

Kurt Riegelman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelsat, said: “Marlink has been a great partner and understands the value that Intelsat’s fully integrated wide beam and high throughput global network can deliver to its customers, particularly those operating a fleet of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean ocean regions at the same time. Our Globalized Network will enable Marlink to quickly and cost effectively scale to meet its customer demands and consistently deliver high performing, resilient and secure broadband connectivity to the many ships operated by their cruise ship customer.”