GSM connectivity - they had during all the trip - ability to send and receive SMS messages - 

M/V DISCOVERY - in 
If we have to communicate only and exclusively regarding the discovery -
We have 16 other vessels - one other cruise vessels and 15 ferry vessels
They operate long term in Europe - 




Hi Karl,

It is the first time in the GSM history, that a transatlantic ship crossing,
has full GSM coverage on board (for passangers, and crew members, as if they
were on shore.) 

There are competitive services that recently started providing this same
solution, by developing the necessary technology, but these services are
only in test phases. OceanCell service by Geolink, is the first service (in
the world) in commercial operation since December 2000, truly crossing seas
and oceans providing GSM connectivity.

OceanCell is interesting for the mobile telephone users: they can now call,
be called, send and receive SMS (Short Message Service) while sailing seas
and oceans, as well as for the ship owners: OceanCell represents a unique
way to finance the investment in a VSAT on board, a feature becoming a
standard for passenger vessels.


Geolink's Vice-president, who manages the OceanCell project.



M/V DISCOVERY and GEOLINK trace a line in the history of both CRUISE and GSM industries. GEOLINK's GSM solution "OCEANCELL" enables permanent and live GSM connections while sailing the seas and oceans.The "Discovery" cruise liner, the famous "Pacific Princess" known on TV as the "Love Boat", appears in history as the very first cruise vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean, from Europe to Antarctica with live GSM services on board.	 


Photo : Captain Azam Fasih
Chief Electro Technical Officer on board (CETO)
MV Discovery

OCEANCELL, GEOLINK's GSM solution for ferries and cruise vessels appears to be a hugely successful wireless technology. Passenger vessel operators can from now on, offer at sea seamless connectivity to cellular phone users.

With OCEANCELL, GEOLINK is the only company having GSM solutions in commercial operation at sea. In 2003 15 vessels have contracted with GEOLINK to render the service available on board.

Some views on OceanCell by Mr. Azam Fasih, Discovery's CETO


"I have been working with C Band Satellite VSAT systems for the last 3 years and did not realize that the system still had even more potential to offer. By marrying up GEOLINK GSM System with the C Band you have gone beyond anyone's expectations. I have been talking to the crew and passengers on board and without doubt the overall consensus is very positive. 
The bottom line is the Geolink's OceanCell GSM system should be a roaring success on cruise ships without a doubt."
 


According to the GSM Association, there will be 1 billion GSM subscribers in early 2004. With OCEANCELL 70% of the globe surface (seas and oceans) is now covered ; a revolution in the Maritime industry as well.




GEOLINK

For more than a decade, GEOLINK's mission has been to provide reliable, continuous and secure telecommunication services, as well as all value-added services required by individuals and  organisations in our modern information society (voice, fax, mail, Internet access, data file transfer, GSM, etc.), where traditional terrestrial or mobile telecommunication means are unusable or non-existent, or can simply not be economically envisaged.



For more information, contact us at GEOLINK at
E-mail : infos@geolink.com
Web: www.geolink.com