Until this development, calling from a ship required a different kind of
card often not easily available to seafarers.

Ken Cornforth, the Mission's North Tees chaplain responsible for the
breakthrough, says the new generation of The Mission to Seafarers phone card
will enable seafarers to call home from both land lines on shore and via
satellite from ships.

"This is a fantastic new development and I believe it is a world first,"
said Ken. "Our existing international card is very popular and enables
seafarers to call home from any shore line while in port, but the technology
is quite different when using ship satellite systems."

To combine both technologies on one dual-purpose card, the Mission
cooperated with Millennium Communications, which produces the existing
Mission to Seafarers card, and Xantic, a premier satellite communication
provider. Xantic made it possible for seafarers to use the card over its
platform in both Burum and Perth Land earth Stations via a special access
code. The cards should be available this month.

"It has taken a lot of technical research and negotiation," said Ken, "but
it is a giant step towards easy communication for seafarers. It will mean a
great to deal know they are no longer quite so isolated. A lot of seafarers
already use the Mission card and they will now have the means in their
pocket to call home from their ship."

END

The Mission to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen) is a missionary
society of the Anglican Church. It cares for the practical and spiritual
welfare of seafarers of all races and creeds in 300 ports throughout the
world. Working through a network of chaplains and staff, on average each
year it makes 71,400 ship visits and welcomes 602,000 seafarers to its
centres, visits 900 seafarers in hospital and helps in around 1,000 justice
and welfare cases.

From: Peter Pickles, press officer, The Mission to Seafarers,
St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL

Tel: 020 7248 5202
Fax: 020 7248 4761
Email: press@missiontoseafarers.org
Web: www.missiontoseafarers.org

Patron Her Majesty The Queen
President Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
Chairman of the Council DK Newbigging OBE
Chairman of the Executive Committee FM Everard CBE
Secretary General The Rev Canon Bill Christianson

Central Office St Michael Paternoster Royal College Hill London EC4R 2RL