passenger ships, where steel hulls and bulkheads, multiple decks and hundreds of staterooms and corridors make it difficult to propagate signals. Our engineers have also developed solutions to enable us to deliver reliable, highspeed cellular connectivity via any satellite backhaul connection, including geostationary, MEO and LEO satellite constellations such as Starlink, which is the current service provider on many of our ships.” In addition, WMS provides 24/7 remote network monitoring and management services, as well as a team of global field service technicians that can install systems without causing disruptions to cruise line operations, optimise networks, execute hardware or software upgrades, and repair any issues. “Our people are our biggest asset,” says Arora. “Their skills, expertise and teamwork enable us to continuously improve our technologies and processes, enhance our customer support services, and increase our capacity to deliver the optimal connectivity experiences at sea.” Arora explains that these factors make it possible for WMS to adapt its services to help cruise operators meet and exceed guest and crew expectations as their connectivity demands continue to evolve. “In the past, travellers wanted to disconnect while cruising but connectivity is now a fundamental part of the vacation experience,” he says. “Our surveys show that most guests want to stay in touch with family, friends and co-workers while at sea, and they expect to have seamless, uninterrupted access to applications they use at home. While cruise ship Wi-Fi is great for heavy data usage – such as video streaming, constant social media and large file transfers – cellular is ideal for moderate data usage, like talking, texting, email and sporadic internet browsing. Cellular services are also end-to-end encrypted, so COVER STORY 36
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