Hurtigruten Extends SatCom Agreement with Telenor

Telenor Satellite Services 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 maritime broadband system that provides voice and high-speed data services via satellite, including Internet access and crew calling, 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.