Stena Line Extends Contract with MCP
Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) has signed an extended contract to deliver wireless communication services to Stena Line’s European ferry operations.
MCP, a onboard communications provider, has announced the extension of its partnership with Stena Line. The new contract is an extension of the existing contract, and expands MCP’s wireless communication services on to an additional two Stena Line vessels. These vessels include the former Scandlines vessels Sassnitz and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The new contract will ensure the most reliable end-to-end wireless services available. Passengers will have access to state of the art mobile communication services, with MCP enhancing today’s GSM service with higher bandwidth systems like 3G and LTE in the coming years. This will allow the passengers to experience mobile communications services onboard that are comparable to those experienced onshore.
“Passengers are increasingly making use of onboard wireless services to access a broad range of web-based services, using their smartphones and other handheld devices to keep in touch with family, friends and work, surf the net, update social media pages, text and read e-mails. Ferry operators must be highly adaptable to meet this mobile social networking revolution,” says Eivind Madsen, CEO of MCP.
“We are proud to have Stena Line as a partner. It was one of the first ship owners to deploy the MCP service, and has ever since been an innovative and engaged partner for developing and delivering optimal services to its passengers – this includes mobile connectivity.”
“Our partnership with MCP goes back many years, as our first contract was signed in 2004. We have always worked closely together with MCP, testing new innovative solutions to ensure that we are able to offer our passengers the latest and best within mobile services,” says Niclas Ingeström, CIO of Stena Line. “It is clear that innovation and research is a top priority for MCP, always focusing on future growth and technologies. Having a partner like MCP ensures us that our passengers have the best communication services.”
Stena Line's European route network consists of three business areas based on its geographic markets: Scandinavia, Irish Sea and North Sea. In 2010 more than 15 million passengers travelled with Stena Line. With the new contract, MCP now services 20 of the total fleet of 35 vessels.