Harris Corporation Awarded $55 Million Contract From MariTEL To Develop
Nationwide Marine Communications Network
Business Editors/Technology & Travel Writers
MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 1999--Harris
Corporation (NYSE:HRS) has been awarded a $55 million contract to help
establish a wireless national marine communications network that will
for the first time enable boaters throughout the United States to
easily place phone calls, send/receive faxes and even check emails -
all from a next-generation marine radio.
Harris was awarded the two-year contract from MariTEL, the
nation's leading provider of VHF marine wireless telecommunications,
to develop the MariNET system. The system will enable recreational
boaters, U.S. Coast Guard vessels and commercial ships traveling along
the entire U.S. coastline and all inland navigable waterways in 43
states to wirelessly link to a network of 300 towers onshore. By
connecting to the towers, the boaters can place a phone call directly
into a public phone network.
Harris will provide the necessary hardware and software, tower
site electronics, radio direction finders, and system integration and
support services. The hardware will consist of radio transmitters,
receivers, and antennas. The operational software will control the
system and route calls into the public phone network.
Through MariNET, boaters up to 100 miles from shore will be able
to place a phone call to anywhere in the world and send and receive
faxes and email using a next-generation VHF marine radio that will
soon be available for purchase from several manufacturers. Currently,
boaters are very limited in how they place phone calls over their
marine radios - it is all done manually and most areas have only one
channel, allowing only one call at a time. With MariNET, each area
will have at least nine channels, and all the network connections will
be fully automated, allowing for much quicker and more direct
connections. MariNET will also enhance emergency response
capabilities, as automatic radio direction finding equipment will
provide the precise location of vessels in distress to rescue
agencies.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission changed the
regulations governing the use of marine channels. As a result,
technologies that have been used by cellular telephones can now be
used by VHF marine radios, allowing for such things as email and fax
transmissions. New models employing these technologies, such as narrow
banding and trunking, are being introduced by several manufacturers
this year.
Cellular phones only work several miles offshore, so the maritime
community has no reliable way to place a telephone call using
conventional communications equipment at the present time.
MariTEL is the nation's leading provider of VHF marine wireless
telecommunications. With continuous coverage of inland and coastal
waterways, MariTEL offers marine vessels the best in reliable,
convenient, and affordable VHF communications.
Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) is an international communications
equipment company focused on providing product, system, and service
solutions that take its customers to the next level. The company
provides a wide range of products and services for commercial and
government communications markets such as wireless, broadcast,
government systems, and network support. The company has sales and
service facilities in nearly 90 countries.
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