Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway
(Oslo Stock Exchange:TEL and NASDAQ:TELN), announced today it has
signed a three-year extension with the Hurtigruten Group for maritime
broadband communications on board Hurtigruten's fleet of cruise and
transport vessels.
Telenor's initial satellite communication agreement with
Hurtigruten began in 2000.
The Hurtigruten Group, with headquarters in Narvik, Norway, is an
international travel and public transportation business with
operations in Europe, the United States, and South America. The
company owns and operates a modern fleet of 14 cruise and passenger
transport vessels operating in Scandinavia and offering cruises in
Norway, Spitzbergen, Antarctica and Greenland.
The three-year agreement extension calls for continued "at sea"
broadband communications on board Hurtigruten's fleet of European
coast liner cruise and transport vessels. In addition, in early 2007,
Telenor will install broadband very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
systems on board three additional vessels that are slated for European
and Antarctic cruises.
Sealink is Telenor's cost-efficient and highly reliable maritime
broadband system that provides voice and high-speed data services via
satellite, including Internet access and crew calling,
"Hurtigruten takes great pride in operating and developing one of
the most attractive fleet of vessels for the most beautiful coastal
voyages in the world," said Frid Fastbo, CIO of Hurtigruten Group.
"Offering cruises and tours regionally and internationally, it is
important to our business that we have advanced and reliable data
communications providing our passengers with the robust and
resource-efficient maritime communications. Our on board Sealink
system enables our passengers to keep in touch with families and
friend at home, start using new services, and allows us to efficiently
conduct ships' business at sea."
"We are delighted that Hurtigruten has extended its communications
agreement with Telenor," said Morten Tengs, CEO of Telenor Satellite
Services. "Telenor's Sealink VSAT solution enables Hurtigruten to
provide its passengers and ship operators with one of the world's
premiere maritime broadband systems enabling high-quality service and
advanced applications similar to what they expect at home."
Sealink is Telenor's suite of digital high-speed communications
solutions that extend corporate networks and make other broadband
communications available on a leased basis to ships at sea. Sealink
provides turnkey managed communications solutions for a wide variety
of maritime industries as well as ocean-going transportation and
supply operations. All communications are delivered through Telenor's
fully-owned network of Earth Stations.
Telenor is one of the world's largest providers of mobile
broadband services on land and at sea, supporting more than 2,000
land-based VSAT sites and operating on more than 500 ships around the
world.