Marine Telephone News

MariTEL is nearing completion of its Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi region’s marine wireless VHF radiotelephone network. Launched in June 2001, the network provides mariners affordable and reliable direct dial, automatically connected marine telephone calls vessel location and touch tone services. By the end of 2001, the region will have 29 sites providing coverage from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Sarasota, Fla. Six more towers slated for completion in Spring 2002 will provide uninterrupted marine telecommunications coverage from the Mexican border to Ft. Myers, Fla., and the lower Mississippi River to Memphis, Tenn. MariTEL will introduce its privacy service later this month and e-mail service in March 2002. Privacy service will completely scramble a MariTEL VHF radiotelephone call.

The owner of a small inland tug company has no choice but to come in to the office every Saturday morning to update his fleet and load locations for his customers; he can't reliably update his crew with change orders as the tugs frequently travel in rural areas with no cell phone coverage. On the coast, a marine ops center frequently needs to get change orders to its vessels transiting the area. Unfortunately, the center often has to wait until the boats have moved inshore before contact can be made and new orders communicated. In this case, the fastest way between points A to point B often takes an alphabetical detour, costing time and money, negatively impacting the management of valuable marine resources. Common problems? Yes.

MariTEL, "The Marine Telephone Company" has announced that all vessels in or near New York/New Jersey and Baltimore Harbors can utilize the company's "Marine Operator" VHF marine telephone service to make calls to home, update relatives, call operations centers, or for any other purpose. The call is both for ship-to-shore calls as well as shore-to-ship calls, which can originate from any US area code. This "Free Five-Minute Call" offer will stay in effect until Wednesday, September 26, 2001. The USCG issued emergency regulations earlier today affecting closures of New York/New Jersey Harbor, Baltimore and the Potomac River that restrict most vessel movements.

When a call must go through, many mariners rely on MariTEL for all-around superior VHF marine telecommunications. MariTEL, the nation's leading provider of VHF marine communications, with offices in Gulfport, Miss.; New York, Washington D.C., and New Orleans, currently offers coverage of more than 7,000 miles of coastline and rivers. "I was inside the harbor at Block Island, Rhode Island, surrounded by hills, and MariTEL…some 20 miles away - picked up the call instantly and delivered the best ship-to-shore connection I've ever had," said Capt. Chris Kelly. Mariners who own a VHF radio appreciate it for its power and dependability, and MariTEL…