Telenor cuts rates at sea

Press release
Fornebu
5 minute read
Telenor significantly reduces its rates on mobile calls from ships sailing in Scandinavian and Nordic waters.

Passengers on ferries between Norway and Denmark and other ships in Scandinavian and Nordic waters will now pay less for making mobile calls while on board.

Removes the start price
As of 28 May, Telenor significantly reduces its rates at sea. Telenor also removes the start price for incoming and outgoing calls completely. In addition to this, the price of sending an SMS for customers with prepaid subscriptions will be reduced, while the rates for MMS and GPRS remain the same for the time being. Calls will now be charged per minute, instead of per second. These reductions apply to ships with mobile phone coverage from Maritime Communications Partner (MCP).

Increased capacity with satellite
MCP is a Norwegian GSM operator that offers mobile phone coverage on ships. All mobile communication to and from the ships is routed via satellite. MCP has installed mobile phone networks on many ferries and passenger ships that sail between Norwegian and Nordic ports. In addition to passengers on ferries to Denmark and Kiel, travellers on board several of the Norwegian Coastal Steamers ( Hurtigruten ) are also granted this means of communication.

"To a large extent, customers have not been aware of the high cost of calling as they are still in the Nordic area when on board these ships," says Bjørn Amundsen, Vice President and Head of Mobile Network Coverage at Telenor.

Introducing one rate
"We are now doing something about this by reducing the call rates, and for some, this will mean more than a 50 per cent price reduction when using mobile phones on board," he says. Charges will also be much simpler, as Telenor is now introducing one rate, irrespective of whether you receive or make a call while on board.


Examples of change in rates: