Old Queen Mary Gets Connected Via Powerline Technology

Moored permanently in Long Beach, Calif., the ship had long defied telecommunications specialists who couldn't decide whether it was a sea-going vessel or a hotel. They opted for the latter function, because the ship's 365 rooms are occupied as hotels.

Telkonet Inc. reported Monday that its Telconet iWire System has been installed throughout the ship by reseller Hotel Internet Services. The aging ship's original electrical system had presented a formidable challenge to the installers.

"It only took two men five days to wire the 70-year-old ship," said Aaron Okajima, the ship's IT manager, in a statement. "If we had installed conventional CAT-5 cable, it would have taken at least three months (and) it would have cost significantly more."

Telkonet, which specializes in using existing electrical wiring within buildings, said wireless access points were deployed at electrical outlets on the ship. The entire system delivers high-speed wired and wireless Web access over three decks, the hotel lobby and the business center.

Seagoing vessels including most major cruise ships have been outfitted with Internet connections -- mostly via satellite links -- in recent months.

A new Queen Mary oceanliner was launched recently.