World oil prices surge
New Delhi: World oil prices shot up to record highs. New York's benchmark contract, light sweet crude for September delivery, surged 52 cents to a record settlement of 47.37 dollars on Wednesday. In electronic trade after the market closed, it shot to an all-time high 47.50. Brent North Sea crude for October rose four cents to finish at 43.03 dollars.
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Norwegian Cruise Line offers onboard mobile services
Miami, USA: NCL Corporation has announced that it will be the first cruise line to bring passengers on North American cruises the ability to use their cell phones even when communications towers are oceans away. The company is providing the innovative new offering through Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of AT&T Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN).

Leading the way in shipboard technology, NCL pioneered the industry's first Internet access on the high seas with its Internet cafe in 1999. In 2002, NCL became the first cruise line to provide remote wireless Internet (also known as Wi-Fi) to its guests. Both services are now standard throughout NCL's entire fleet.

The new technology is expected to be introduced on the Norwegian Sun as soon as next month and could be available fleet-wide within a year. The offering combines satellite and wireless services, enabling passengers to make and receive calls on their own cell phones with their own phone numbers while in international waters.

The service will be available to most passengers with GSM phones that operate at 900 MHz and 1900 MHz, which are common in the U.S. These passengers will be able to make and receive both voice calls and text messages. In addition, the planned offering will enable passengers with data-capable GSM/GPRS devices to access data services, such as email and picture messaging. Passengers will be billed by the carrier to whom they subscribe at roaming rates set by that carrier, just as if they were roaming on land instead of at sea.

Earlier this year, AT&T Wireless and MTN announced the formation of Wireless Maritime Services, which combines MTN's expertise in providing satellite services to the cruise industry with the expertise of AT&T Wireless in delivering wireless services to consumer and business travelers. Wireless Maritime Service was formed to develop and launch this convenient and affordable communications offering for cruise ships.

NCL Corporation is an innovative cruise company headquartered in Miami, Florida. With a fleet of 14 ships in service and under construction, the corporation oversees the operations of NCL, NCL America and Orient Lines. On July 4, 2004, NCL made U.S. maritime history when it introduced the reflagged Pride of Aloha, the first modern U.S.-flagged cruise ship in nearly 50 years.
Maritime Telecommunications Network, Inc. (MTN), the leader in maritime communications, provides broadband solutions for voice, data, Internet and compressed video services to the cruise and other offshore industries and to the U.S. Government using state-of-the-art VSAT technology.

AT&T Wireless is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 21.737 million subscribers as of June 30, 2004, and revenues of more than $16.8 billion over the past four quarters, AT&T Wireless delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications services, voice and data, to businesses and consumers, in the U.S. and internationally.
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