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Dubai: CNN International is harnessing the global satellite connectivity of Thuraya, the UAE-based satellite operator, to deliver breaking news to the most remote areas of the world.
In its first alliance with a mobile satellite provider, the strategic partnership will see the launch of a CNN Breaking News SMS Alerts service to Thuraya customers beyond the reach of standard mobile coverage across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central and South Asia.
As of Tuesday, Thuraya’s satellite mobile customers will have access to breaking news in English and Arabic. Customers will also be able to tailor the service according to their preferences by signing up for optional extras including news from the World, US and Middle East, as well as Business, Sport and Showbiz updates delivered direct to their mobile phones. A banner on the CNN website will direct users to a dedicated site from where they can sign up to the service.
CNN’s partnership with Thuraya will extend the news leader’s mobile reach by an additional 250,000 subscribers, which will be largely expanded following Thuraya’s launch in the Asia-Pacific region in early 2008. The services target regions outside the reach of GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) coverage.
Thuraya’s satellite infrastructure currently provides blanket coverage to more than 110 countries, across a landmass inhabited by an estimated 2.3 billion people, and set to increase by an additional 2 billion people with the launch of the new satellite, Thuraya-3 later this year.
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