St. John, Channel Islands, Jersey and Miami, United States
:
O3b Networks has announced a milestone multi-year, multi-million
dollar agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide high-speed
satellite-delivered broadband service aboard the world¡¯s largest cruise
ship. By summer 2013, more than 8,000 guests, staff and crew members
aboard the cruise industry leader¡¯s flagship Oasis of the Seas ¨C
under the Royal Caribbean International brand ¨C will be the first to
enjoy O3b¡¯s enhanced connectivity at sea as if connected to fiber at
home or in the office.
The largest Cruise Ship in the World, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd,'s Oasis of the Seas. (Photo: Business Wire)
A true technology innovator, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the first
to utilize O3b¡¯s new maritime offering O3b Maritime, which delivers the
reach of satellite and the speed and latency of fiber at a fraction of
the cost of conventional providers. O3b is enabling maritime service
providers to offer affordable fiber-like capacity across the Caribbean
and ocean regions around the world. Providing unparalleled bandwidth,
O3b¡¯s steerable satellite beams will provide cruise industry passengers
ultra-fast Internet communications throughout their voyage.
¡°Royal Caribbean is committed to delivering the most contemporary
vacation to our guests, and that includes pushing ahead for onboard
technological advances that offer the modern conveniences that guests
enjoy on land,¡± said Adam M. Goldstein, President and CEO, Royal
Caribbean International. ¡°This milestone agreement with O3b Networks
enables us to provide our guests with unprecedented Internet service at
sea aboard Oasis of the Seas and potentially in the future aboard
other ships in our fleet.
¡°From the moment we met the Royal Caribbean team we were struck by an
intense customer focus and a determination to provide an unrivalled
cruise experience to their guests on board,¡± said Steve Collar, Chief
Executive Officer, O3b Networks. ¡°With O3b Maritime, Oasis of
the Seas will experience connection speeds that are an order of
magnitude higher and latency that is four times lower than offered in
the market today. At O3b, we believe that affordable, high speed
broadband should always be within reach ¨C wherever you are in the world,
on land and at sea - and we are delighted to showcase the unrivalled
performance of O3b Maritime together with Royal Caribbean.¡±
Oasis of the Seas shares the title of the world¡¯s largest and
most innovative cruise ship with sister-ship Allure of the Seas.
With a cache of distinct onboard activities and amenities, Oasis of
the Seas offers one-of-a-kind entertainment performances, culinary
concepts, retail venues and technology innovations. An architectural
marvel at sea, Oasis of the Seas is divided into seven distinct themed
neighborhoods, which include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal
Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness
Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. The ship spans 16 decks,
encompasses 225,282 gross registered tons, carries 5,400 guests at
double occupancy, and features 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas
and Allure of the Seas alternates a Western Caribbean with an
Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her homeport of Port
Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
About O3b Networks Ltd.
O3b Networks is a global satellite service provider building a
next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators,
Internet service providers, enterprise and Government customers in
emerging markets. The O3b system will combine the global reach of
satellite with the speed of a fiber©\optic network providing billions of
consumers and businesses in nearly 180 countries with low©\cost,
high©\speed, low latency Internet and mobile connectivity. O3b Networks¡¯
investors are SES, Google, Liberty Global, HSBC Principal Investments,
Northbridge Venture Partners, Allen & Company, Development Bank of
Southern Africa, Sofina, Satya Capital and Luxempart. O3b Networks is
headquartered in St. John, Jersey, Channel Islands.
About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSX: RCL) is a global cruise vacation
company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises,
Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur, CDF Croisieres de France, as well as
TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture with TUI AG. The company
owns a combined total of 40 ships and has one under construction and two
under agreement. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska,
Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Dubai, Europe and South America.
This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an
offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be
offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption
from registration. Any public offering of securities to be made in the
United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained
from the issuer and that will contain detailed information about the
issuer and management, as well as financial statements. The company does
not intend to register any part of the present offering in the United
States.
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