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Maritime Communications MariTel Launches New Marine Telephone Service With Vessel Location The owner of a small inland tug com- pany has no choice but to come in to the office every Saturday morning to update his fleet and load locations for his cus- tomers; he can't reliably update his crew with change orders as the tugs frequent- ly travel in rural areas with no cell phone coverage. On the coast, a marine ops center fre- quently needs to get change orders to its vessels transiting the area. Unfortunate- ly. the center often has to wait until the boats have moved inshore before con- tact can be made and new orders com- municated. In this case, the fastest way between points A to point B often takes an alphabetical detour, costing time and money, negatively impacting the man- agement of valuable marine resources. Common problems? Yes. And until now, there wasn't much a commercial operator could do to increase telecommunications capability. The only options included a satellite system or to operate in an area that had a regional provider offering a limited solution. As the industry faces increasing regu- latory pressure and higher operating costs, commercial operators are forced to improve the management and resources in order to preserve revenue and gain a competitive edge. MariTEL has started to solve these brown water challenges with the recent launch of its new Marine Wireless VHF Radiotelephone Network in the Gulf of Mexico and lower Mississippi River. The June 2001 launch is the first in the company's $300 million nationwide telecommunications Network, sched- uled for completion by the end of 2002. Built expressly for the maritime indus- try, the telecommunications network is a new marine resource management tool that employs internationally mandated Digital Selective Calling (DSC) tech- nology. Upon completion of the net- work's 161 towers covering essentially all of the U.S. coastline and inland nav- igable waterways, offshore range will be from up to 50 to 100 miles. According to Jim Tindall, vice presi- dent Sales and Marketing, MariTEL, "The Network brings easy-to-use, cellu- lar telephone-like functionality to the maritime environment, combining the convenience and safety of a traditional VHF radio with a modern telephone system." The first services to be offered with MariTEL are automatic telephone call- ing between ship and the public tele- phone network and Vessel Location ser- vices. The Network is comprised of strategi- cally placed public coast station tower sites, a fiber-optic network, and inte- grated hardware and software. At a minimum height of 330 ft., the compa- ny's radio towers provide connectivity well beyond conventional cellular cov- erage, and are cost-effective. MariTEL's Region One will cover the area from Corpus Christi, Texas to Sara- sota, Fla. and the lower Mississippi River as far north as Memphis, Tenn. At A breakthrough in communication Sailor has a long history as a leading manufacturer and supplier of satellite communication sysleins. Our products arc sold as both stand alone products and as integrated units in our highly regarded GMDSS solutions. With the latesi SAILOR SP4400 SAT-B MK II, Sailor has untangled the Gordian knol of satellite technology. It is a flagship among digital Ship Earth Slations ISES) and a breakthrough in maritime aerial technology, transmission speed, quality and reliability. SAILOR SP4400 MK II is the result of this highly visio- nary development strategy. Today, nearly 10%> of our annual turnover is invested in product research and development and more than one out often of our employees are involved in projects facing the challenges of Porsvej 2 • DK-9200 Aalhorg SV • Denmark • Phone. +45 9634 6100 Fax +45 9634 6101 • Telex 69 789 SPRAD Dk E-mail: sailor@sailor.dk • Web: www.sailor.dk Circle 326 on Reader Service Card www.maritimereporterinfo.com MSHS /I NETWORK OF SOLUTION, mm i Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, Inc. (MSHS) provides a network of services for the Maritime Industry. From Norfolk, Virginia to Corpus Christi, Texas, MSHS and its group of companies can deliver high-quality products and services. We provide factory-trained turbocharger services, overhauling and repairing two-stroke components. laser alignment and complete engine overhauls. We sell and service Boll Filtration Systems, Deutz Engines and Woodward Governors. MSHS is ISO 9002 certified and we are available 24-hours a day worldwide to meet your needs, For more information, call toll free 1-800-622-6747 or visit our web page at www.mshs.com. To reach us by fax, Circle 292 on Reader Service Card www. maritimeref>orterinfo. com
