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Special Advertising Section COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE Whether in the middle of an ocean or the middle of a river, reliable communication is paramount to operational safety and efficiency. "Now we can offer our cus- tomers full two-way mobile satellite service," said Mario Persico, product manager for AT&T's Mobile Satellite Ser- vices group. "Our prices are competitive, we'll do our own billing, and the service we will deliver to customers will make our offer very attractive." The advantages of such seam- less communications are illus- trated in extreme emergency sit- uations, as well as the mundane situations, such as the daily transfer of voice, fax and data. Technology is driving the acceptance and implementation of satellite communication ser- vices, as equipment and antennas become much smaller and lighter, while allowing for faster transmission times and, ultimate- ly, a reduction in cost-per-minute prices. Shipowners' and seafarers' communications equipment and service are particularly crucial considering the nature of the ocean shipping business. Secure, reliable communication is the only means to keep a ship at sea from isolation. The AT&T service was intro- duced for customers requiring anywhere, anytime global com- munications between mobile locations not served by land-line telephone service. Innovative Uses Keeping a ship in service is the first key to profitability. Today's advanced communica- tions can greatly aid to that end, providing ship personnel an immediate and authoritative link when problems arise. Say, for example, a tanker develops engine problems en route. The master and chief engineer can immediately report the problem to shoreside personnel, and gain insight and technical advice in solving the matter. In a scenario that would require the ship to stop at the nearest repair port, onboard communications could be utilized to prepare spare part and service engineers at the port so the job could start as soon as the ship arrived. The concept of land-based ship management nearly presupposes the existence of fast, effective, and efficient communications. To this end, AT&T has developed an array of products for the maritime indus- try. (See chart to the right) Services To Meet Any Need The maritime industry is demanding, and AT&T offers a comprehensive package of com- munication plans. Refer to the chart on the right to determine which AT&T plan best fits your company's needs. Circle 94 on Reader Service Card ition about AT&T Mobile call 1-800-392-2067. AT&T is wherever you are AT&T Mobile Satellite Services Product Portfolio High Seas Radiotelephone Service (Manual) Allows ship-to-shore radiotelephone calling and global access. Three AT&T coast stations. Manual IOC operator call completion. Ship to U.S. and international locations, requiring a marine single-sideband radio. Usage Cost: $4.98/min. - 3-minute minimum High Seas Direct® (Automatic Radiotelephone Service) Same as High Seas except handset and modem are required, which are installed into the marine single-sideband radio. Permits radiotelephone calling without the need for operator assistance. Initial Cost: $999 (Handset & Modem) Usage: $3.50/min. - 1-minute minimum Shore-to-Ship Inmarsat A, B, HI Permits U.S.-to-ship calling over Inmarsat A, B, M services. Customer dials 011 +871, 872, 873, or 874 + customer terminal number to com- plete the call. Usage Cost: Standard A is $9.75/min; Standard B, M are $5.50/min. Billing in 30-second initial period and 6-second each additional period where available, 1 -minute periods where sub-minute billing not avail- able. Discount program available Ship-to-Shore Inmarsat A, B, HI Permits ship-to-U.S. and ship-to-international calling over Inmarsat A, B, M. Customer dials earth station I.D., call type prefix, and called party number. Usage Cost: Standard A is $9.30/min. peak, $8.50/min. off-peak; Standard B, M is $5.50/min. peak and off-peak. Volume discounts inclusive in tariff Ship-to-Ship Inmarsat A, B, M Permits ship-to-ship calling over Inmarsat A, B, M. Call is placed using two satellite links. Usage Cost: Calls are rated at two times the ship-to-shore rate. Ship-to-Shore Telex over Inmarsat A, B Permits telex traffic over Inmarsat A, B. Usage Cost: Base rates for call terminating in the U.S.: Standard A, $3.85/min.; Standard B, $3.50/min. Calls terminating overseas may incur an additional per-minute charge. 16 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
