fyi GSM at sea

All:

Pointer to article:
www.cellular-news.com/story/12153.shtml

Kobielus kommentary:
Isn’t this the core market that Iridium and all those other defunct global mobile satellite carriers intended to address? So pathetically puny. Even in the early 90s, when all of these ventures were in the insane-hype stage, you wonder what all the VCs were smoking when they greenlighted these pipedreams. Even then, the terrestrial cellular carriers had a lockhold on the bulk of the mobility market. Now that GSM base stations are being deployed on cruise ships, it feels like the final coup de grace. I’m curious (the article doesn’t say) what satellite service is providing the link between the shipside GSM network and the “adjacent” shoreside terrestrial GSM network(s). I’m also curious if the shipside GSM operators have shipside WiFi-to-GPRS roaming (and if they have WiFi service to begin with). I don’t know about you, but if I were cooped up on a vomitrocious vessel for days or weeks, I’d at least want a broadband porthole to stare out of.

Can you tell that I didn’t enjoy my one and only experience with cruise ships? The worst thing about them is being inside the vessel, feeling the rocking, but not being able to see the horizon. That’s when seasickness really takes hold. If I could have slept up on deck, in full view of the ocean, I would have quickly gained my sea legs. Or if I could have had a full view of the ocean of media from the shoreside world, it would have been less disorienting. As it was, I had to make do with junky lounge acts, second-rate Hollywood movies, and semi-edible continuous buffets.

Gag me with a spoon.

Jim