European Commission Sets Rules for Mobile Phones on Ships

The European Commission has adopted new rules to make it easier for passengers and crew on ships in the EU’s territorial waters to make mobile phone calls or send and receive text messages when they are out of range of land-based mobile phone networks. Previously, there were twenty seven different sets of national legislation on mobile phone coverage on-board cruise liners, cargo ships and ferries in European territorial waters.

The new rules ensure the availability of 900 MHz and/or 1800 MHz GSM radio frequencies for on-board communication services while protecting land-based networks from interference.

The EC also adopted a Recommendation that EU countries liberalize their authorization regimes in a way that any on-board services operator authorized in one country can provide services in the territorial waters of other EU countries without the need for further licenses.
http://www.europa.eu