DENVER-ICG Satellite Services said it plans to acquire about 90 percent of Maritime Cellular Tele-Network Inc., a West Palm Beach, Fla.-based provider of cellular communications for commercial shipping.
MCN will allow ICG to provide mobile satellite communications services to freighters, yachts, tankers and off-shore platforms as well as service inland to land-based mobile units, ICG said. ICG said it will be able to offer digital voice, fax and data transmission to commercial and private ships more than 600 miles from shore at a cost that is expected to be less than most cellular roaming charges in the United States. Existing MCN customers will benefit from the elimination of roaming charges and potential cellular fraud.
ICG said Maritime Cellular’s product, MarineSat, uses a satellite owned by American Mobile Satellite Corp. that provides ubiquitous coverage of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Alaska and Hawaii. Unlike other mobile satellite systems, MarineSat does not require dialing protocols, minimum call lengths or special calling times and dates, ICG said.
