New Skies Satellites BV announced Oct. 25 an expanded, multi-satellite agreement with Services Sound and Vision Corp. (SSVC), under which the organizations would create a new multi-channel television service designed for vessels at sea. The service will provide an opportunity for Royal Navy personnel to view higher quality multi- channel television, including 24-hour news.

SSVC, a charity set up to entertain and inform Britain’s armed forces around the world, will use capacity on New Skies’ NSS-806 and NSS-703 satellites to deliver a package of digital television channels to nearly 65 vessels patrolling the waters of North, Central and South America, as well as Antarctica, Africa and the Mediterranean.

This agreement expands upon a September 2003 agreement under which SSVC uses NSS-7 to deliver British Forces Broadcasting Service radio and television to British military bases throughout the Atlantic Ocean region.

Financial terms of the new expansion were not disclosed.