Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), operator of the world’s first Globalized Network, powered by its leading satellite backbone, announced today that Marlink, the global business critical communication solutions specialist, selected Intelsat to deliver fast, high quality Intelsat EpicNG broadband connectivity to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) cruise ships. At the end of May, MSC Cruises began to apply the benefits of EpicNG’s high throughput connectivity aboard the MSC Divina, one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Utilizing Intelsat’s Globalized Network, Marlink will provide broadband connectivity to all of MSC Cruises’ 12 existing ships, ensuring all of the Company’s ships will be covered globally.
Passengers and crew members are demanding mobile broadband on par with the speeds and reliability experienced at home. The agreement with Intelsat enables Marlink to supplement its existing maritime VSAT services with Sealink Cloud Services to one of the world’s largest, and fastest growing cruise lines. As a result, MSC Cruises will be able to deliver high speed, reliable and affordable connectivity packages to passengers and crew members anywhere the cruise ships travel.
Under the existing long-term partnership agreement signed in 2014, Marlink will take advantage of the flexibility and scale of Intelsat’s fully interoperable and integrated satellite network to provide MSC Cruises with global coverage for their worldwide itineraries. Marlink will use wide beam C- and Ku-band satellite solutions from nine Intelsat satellites initially, as well as Ku-band high throughput spot beams from Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG fleet, and Intelsat 33e, once it enters service in the second half of the year.
Marlink will also leverage the IntelsatOne terrestrial network, specifically teleports located in Georgia and California in the U.S., as well as Germany and South Korea.
“When serving a ‘floating town’ such as a cruise ship with connectivity requirements for its various itineraries globally, delivering consistent quality and reliability is essential to the passenger experience and the brand integrity of the customer that we are serving,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “With Intelsat, we are providing a scalable and robust solution to MSC Cruises, delivering on high volume broadband demands across many ships operating in high-traffic regions. The high performing, resilient and secure network will enable our customer to further streamline vessel operations, deliver superior services to its crew and most importantly, keep thousands of passengers on each of their ships connected at all times.”
Kurt Riegelman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelsat, said: “Marlink has been a great partner and understands the value that Intelsat’s fully integrated wide beam and high throughput global network can deliver to its customers, particularly those operating a fleet of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean ocean regions at the same time. Our Globalized Network will enable Marlink to quickly and cost effectively scale to meet its customer demands and consistently deliver high performing, resilient and secure broadband connectivity to the many ships operated by their cruise ship customer.”
The closing date for the AIBs 2016 has been extended at the request of broadcasters and production companies around the world. They have asked for additional time to enter their factual content in the 17 categories of this year’s competition.
All entries must be received no later than 1700 GMT on Friday 15 July 2016.
Full details of how to enter the AIBs 2016 are available online at http://theaibs.tv.
Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, has today announced that it has been selected by specialist Australian media company Inverleigh to distribute its premium sports content internationally, representing a first win for Arqiva’s new Australasian office.
As part of a three year, six figure contract, Arqiva will use its international leases on AsiaSat, Eutelsat and Intelsat, along with its teleports to distribute Inverleigh’s programmes throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. The programmes will initially be delivered from Inverleigh ’s Melbourne base to Arqiva’s Sydney Teleport Services (Sydney PoP) via FTP, but Arqiva aim to move to a full-time fibre connection in the future.
With over 2,000 hours of content already developed, Inverleigh is a specialist producer of premium sports and entertainment programmes, including one of the widest reaching league football weeklies, ‘The Football Review’, which analyses the latest results and developments in all European leagues and internationals twice a week.
Peter Wraith, CEO at Inverleigh commented: “More than 260 international broadcasters already love our high-value content solutions and we have no intention of stopping there. The focus for Inverleigh is to continue our international growth, and by working with an experienced partner like Arqiva we believe we can deliver a reliable, high quality programming solution to a growing broadcaster base to meet our clients demands.”
“Having worked with Arqiva over the past few years we have come to expect outstanding personal service and dedication to our business. It was largely the quality of the relationship Arqiva built with us that convinced us to change from our long term provider.”
David Crawford, Managing Director of Satellite & Media at Arqiva commented: “This is a great milestone for our Australasian office and we are very excited to be working with one of the most progressive, and ambitious global media companies.”
“In a highly competitive market it is always tricky to convince a company to switch from its long-term incumbent – ultimately we believe that it’s the confidence Inverleigh has in our ability to deliver its content that has encouraged it to do so, and it delights us to see our partners having such high faith.”
The Association for International Broadcasting has announced that it is starting a series of work on the issue of sustainability in the broadcasting sector.
Speaking at the Business & Climate Summit in London, AIB chief executive Simon Spanswick said that there is a need for media companies around the world to develop strategies that will increase the sustainability of their businesses. Some countries have already developed systems and plans that, for example, allow broadcasters and production companies to calculate the carbon emissions produced during programme making.
The AIB has released a briefing note that provides simple steps that broadcasters can take to help them become more sustainable.
In addition, the AIB is launching a new Sustainability Working Group to provide a platform to share information, experience and expertise among the AIB’s worldwide Membership.
The AIB is also working to ensure that its broadcaster Members collaborate on ways to promote the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to audiences around the world. More details of initiatives in this area will be announced in coming weeks.
The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, presented a keynote speech at the Cannes Lions advertising festival on 24 June calling on the advertising industry to work together to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. On stage alongside the Secretary-General were the heads of five of the world’s largest ad agencies: Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Havas, Michael Roth, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IPG, John Wren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom, Maurice Lévy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Publicis Groupe and Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and Chief Executive Officer of WPP. Dentsu CEO Tadashi Ishii sent a video message to the event from Tokyo.
Ban Ki Moon said: “I am here to ask for your help. This is Cannes, so I have come with a pitch. I know all of you have tremendous power to shape opinions. You are master story-tellers. And I want you to help us create the biggest campaign ever for humanity.”
He went on to explain the challenge: “Last September, leaders of 193 member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with 17 goals. If we implement these by 2030, all seven billion people on this planet will be put forward towards a future where nobody will be left behind. I ask you to use all your creativity, ingenuity, innovation and power of persuasion. Help us transform a complex and abstract agenda into personal, emotional and concrete walkable solutions, and make it your own story.”
The six agencies have agreed to work together – putting side their differences and competing commercial interests – to promote the SDGs over the coming 14 years.
The work of promoting the SDGs will move from the advertising industry to the media industry at the Business&Climate Summit in London on 28 and 29 June when Sir Martin Sorrell will expand on his mission to promote the SDGs and encourage media companies to join the advertising sector’s initiative. Sir Martin will open a special two-hour session at the Summit that will also see AIB CEO Simon Spanswick talk about how the media industry across the world is working on the SDGs and climate change in particular.
In 2009 veteran TV producer Fran Mires set up Al Youm for MBN’s Alhurra TV, the live daily three-hour show for the Middle East that broadcasts simultaneously from Dubai, Cairo, Beirut, Jerusalem and the US. It proved a big challenge, not least because Mires did not speak any Arabic. In 2016, with Al Youm firmly established among audiences in 22 Middle Eastern countries and having spawned a number of successful spin-offs such as Street Pulse, Mires has turned the spotlight on female empowerment in Arab society with her latest production Sit B’Mit Ragel. The Channel spoke to Mires to find out more – click here to go to interview
