P&O Ferries announces English Channel’s first Wi-Fi hot spot

P&O Ferries and MTN Communications have announced the first Wi-Fi hot spot on the English Channel.

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P&O Ferries and MTN Communications have announced the first Wi-Fi hot spot on the English Channel.

The service is now live on ferries serving the Dover-Calais route. These ferries are connected to the MTN Terrestrial Broadband Network (TBN), in addition to having back-up satellite connectivity.

Each P&O Ferries vessel now has a broadband antenna tracking and stabilization system, which works across the entire 22 miles of the English Channel.

This follows the launch of satellite communications solutions on the P&O Ferries Irish Sea Route in December 2013, and North Sea Route in August 2014.

Ian Rabbidge, head of propositions at P&O Ferries, said: “Ferries traditionally have relied solely on satellite bandwidth for communications services. With connectivity demands exponentially increasing on our ferries, it was crucial for us to find a more reliable, robust solution.

“P&O Ferries is proud to be the first ferry operator in the world to showcase such an advanced communications offering to its passengers and crew.”

Brent Horwitz, senior vice president cruise and ferry services at MTN, added: “P&O Ferries had its own major modernisation initiative underway to provide the most advanced overall ferry services in the world.

“This enhanced connectivity, and access to work and travel-related applications and content, is at a level beyond what any other ferry operator has today.”