Harris CapRock Communications has been selected by Royal Caribbean Cruise to provide onboard communications services for its fleet of 34 ships for five years.
The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The services will be provided to cruise ships operating under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises brands.
Under the deal, Harris CapRock will deploy a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) and terrestrial communications solution that will enable access to the company’s corporate network and business applications, broadband Internet, and telephony services.
Harris CapRock will also provide equipment, installation, maintenance, service, and monitoring and support.
Each of the cruise ships will be equipped with two or three stabilised VSAT antenna systems to ensure improved communication availability.
The hybrid solution combines Ku-band, C-band and shore wireless connectivity, which will allow switching between these platforms, ensuring maximum service availability and less downtime.
Harris CapRock provides SeaAccess, a turnkey VSAT service for the cruise market that provides connectivity inside cruise vessels at sea.
It allows passengers to use services like Internet cafes, onboard GSM, pre-paid and post-paid calling, VoIP solutions, broadcast television feeds and other entertainment services.
Earlier this year, the company signed an agreement with Siem Offshore to deliver turnkey very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications to five of its supply vessels located offshore in Brazil.
In 2011, Harris CapRock signed a similar deal with Farstad Shipping to deliver turnkey very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications to its fleet of 53 vessels.
