Intelsat EpicNG Broadband Connectivity to Support MTN’s Service for the Cruise and Yacht Sectors
Long-term commitment provides MTN with a ground-breaking solution for delivery of more than 2 gigabits per second to Caribbean customers
Miramar, Fla., and Luxembourg, 25 July 2012
Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of satellite services, and MTN Satellite Communications (MTN), the leading global provider of communications, connectivity and content services to remote locations around the world, announced today that MTN has committed to IntelsatEpicNG, Intelsat’s next generation, high-performance, open architecture satellite platform for the cruise and yacht sectors.
Under a long-term agreement, MTN will leverage the first Intelsat EpicNG satellite, Intelsat 29e, to provide more than 2 gigabits of capacity for MTN’s cruise and yacht customers in the Caribbean.
The Intelsat EpicNG platform is a complementary overlay to Intelsat’s leading global satellite network. Initially, MTN will utilize capacity on Intelsat’s Ku-band mobile global broadband infrastructure. Once Intelsat 29e is launched in 2015, MTN will then partially transition to its custom-designed service on the Intelsat EpicNG platform, enabling MTN to deliver an unprecedented level of throughput in key Caribbean regions, especially for the cruise and yacht sectors.
“MTN has been an important partner to Intelsat for more than two decades, and is one of the true pioneers of the maritime VSAT sector,” said Steve Spengler, Intelsat EVP of Sales, Marketing and Strategy. “The Intelsat EpicNG platform will be the perfect complement to MTN’s intense focus on innovation and commitment to its customers, and will enable MTN to differentiate its service features and achieve much higher throughput per vessel, changing the cruise ship experience by offering affordable, reliable connectivity.”
“MTN has chosen the Intelsat EpicNG platform for our revolutionary High-Throughput Multi-Spot (HTMS™) Ku-band solution for the Caribbean. This game-changing infrastructure will allow us to once again set the bar for broadband telecommunications at sea,” said Errol Olivier, President and CEO of MTN Satellite Communications. “This is the first of a series of strategic initiatives that will include much more than just satellite bandwidth. Our cruise and yacht customers want to offer their guests and crew the same Internet experience they have at home or at land-based resorts. We are confident that our service on Intelsat EpicNG, along with our other innovative wireless and application optimization solutions, will exceed our customers’ expectations.”
“After thoroughly evaluating several high-throughput satellite alternatives, we concluded that the Intelsat EpicNG Ku-band spot beams were the ideal solution for the mission-critical needs of our customers,” said Kevin McCarthy, MTN’s SVP of Network Engineering. “The innovative Intelsat EpicNG platform will give us unprecedented control, allowing us to customize every aspect of the service. The resulting design will provide unmatched throughput and reliability, while maintaining backwards compatibility with the rest of our global Ku-band network. Our cruise and yacht customers will be able to seamlessly roam into our high-throughput beams with their existing Ku antennas.”
MTN Satellite Communications (MTN), the first company to offer a stabilized Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite solution for ships at sea, has contributed to the evolution of the satellite industry over the past three decades, delivering communications solutions that address the needs of people moving around the world. Through MTN’s reliable global satellite network and expertise, the company continues to deliver solutions across various markets while addressing the unique challenges and needs for each.
Today, MTN offers services and solutions to cruise lines, commercial shipping, oil and gas, mega yachts, government entities and aviation markets. MTN delivers and supports a broad array of integrated turnkey services, including remote access for Internet, VoIP, voice services, remote IT management, global vessel tracking, bandwidth optimization, real-time video capabilities, crew calling solutions, and other enterprise solutions. For more information, visit www.mtnsat.com.
About Intelsat
Intelsat is the leading provider of satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.
