AUG 2014
ShipInsight SAFETY PART 2
• CRITICAL INFORMATION ON MARITIME TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATION • SPONSORED BY
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS Caption to go here
• A guide to regulation and technology •
GMDSS Safety first is at the heart of marine communications
REGULATION Meeting the rules of the IMO and ITU
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH SATELLITE SYSTEMS COULDCOMMUNICATIONS LEAD TO A look at the options HARDWARE MARINE ACCIDENTS. now available What is needed on board
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| INTRODUCTION
S
HIPS AT SEA HAVE ALWAYS had a limited ability to communicate with other vessels or the shore but until the beginning of the 20th Century the limit was determined by how far the eye could see and light could travel. With the advent of radio the limit stretched to several thousand miles and today satellite communications mean that under most conditions there is no limit at all. Even so, vestiges of the old system remain with flags and lamps used in emergencies and for formalities. Marine communications are changing in other ways too. Most communication to and from ships is necessarily of a commercial nature; giving voyage orders, reporting positions and conditions onboard, seeking advice and very occasionally assistance in emergencies. Historically, ship to shore communication has been highly expensive and not the easiest thing to arrange. A major change began in the 1980s as the Morse key and dedicated Radio Officer began to be replaced by satellite terminals and the GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate and other licenses that most deck officers are now expected to hold. Shortly afterwards, the concept of crew calling and more or less open access to email and internet communications took off although not on every ship. More recent developments mean that crew and passengers on ferries and cruise ships can even make use of their own smart phones and internet enabled wi-fi computers and tablets providing they can afford the subscription or pay as you go rates. And it is not only humans communicating. Most modern vessels have an array of sensors collecting data on just about every important piece of kit onboard and transmitting it ashore for maintenance and operational purposes. This guides looks at some of the technology and services on offer. Malcolm Latarche
Caption to go here Malcolm Latarche
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS. AUGUST 2014 | 3
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CONTENTS XXXXXXX
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND 06 | CHAPTER 1 – Regulation DETECT OPERATOR Meeting the rules of the IMO and ITU DISABILITY WHICH 12 | CHAPTER 2 – GMDSS COULD LEAD TO Safety first is at the heart of marine communications MARINE ACCIDENTS. 22 | CHAPTER 3 – SingTel SingTel’s value added service makes life easier for operators 28 | CHAPTER 4 – Other safety & security Polictical concerns add to the communications costs 36 | CHAPTER 5 – Satellite systems A look at the options now available 44 | CHAPTER 6 – Communications hardware What is needed on board to get the most from comms 52 | CHAPTER 7 – Crew & Passenger services Caption to Keeping crew and customers in touch with the World go here
Editor: Malcolm Latarche malcolm@shipinsight.com Head of Design: Chris Caldwell Layout & Production: Steven Price Advertising Sales: advertising@shipinsight.com Address: ShipInsight, 12 - 14 Bridge Street Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8BZ, UK www.shipinsight.com
ShipInsight
This guide is produced by ShipInsight Ltd. Care is taken to ensure the information it contains is accurate and up to date. However ShipInsight Ltd accepts no responsibility of inaccuracies in, or changes to, such information. No part of this publication may be produced in any form or by means including photocopying or recording, without the permission of ShipInsight Ltd.
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OPTIMISED OPERATIONS Inmarsat brings unrivalled high-reliability, premium quality global voice and data connectivity. This facilitates ultra-reliable ship-to-shore communications, linking shore side experts to your crew and seamlessly connecting your office with your fleet.
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MANAGED SERVICE With Inmarsat, you’re not just getting cutting-edge maritime connectivity and technology, you have the backing of a global team of highly skilled technicians with over 30 years maritime experience. They advise on end-to-end network agnostic solutions that help you optimise your maritime business.
Inmarsat offers your ship a highly evolved maritime communications ecosystem which makes every trip or voyage more efficient, safer and more productive. In short, just a lot smarter. Visit inmarsat.com
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS. JUNE MAY 2014 | 5
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
ďƒ¨ | CHAPTER 1: REGULATION
A World of global communications
W
E LIVE IN AN ERA OF RAPIDLY ADVANCING communications technology with people around the world having more or less free access to communications by radio, TV, telephones, computers and more. At sea there has also been a technology revolution in communications but while there are regulations governing equipment and services, there is no legal requirement for all to have uncontrolled access to any form of communication. Communications equipment and services on board vessels are regulated under three separate areas; Carriage requirements covered by SOLAS; The regulations governing the use of maritime radio as detailed in the International Radio Regulations, set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and finally operator certification covered by STCW. The carriage requirements are in force as far as SOLAS is concerned purely for safety and search and rescue and security requirements. The commercial aspect of communications is for the shipowner to decide providing the rules for licensing and accounting have been complied with. There is no given right for seafarers to have access to communications which remain at the shipowner’s discretion and company welfare philosophy. There is a very good reason why an international body such as the ITU is needed to govern the use of communications equipment.
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The spectrum in which radio communications operate is limited and with more and more demands made on it by increasing use of technologies such as mobile communications such as mobile telephones, wi-fi, radio controlled devices and GPS as well as radio and TV the possibility for interference grows as well. Interference can be a nuisance when it affects personal enjoyment of unessential services but if the system affected is one that is vital for safety or needed to operate production or control processes then interference can have a much more damaging effect. For this reason, the frequencies on which different types of equipment are permitted to operate have been subject to international agreement managed by the ITU. The rules of the ITU are freely accessible from the organization’s website but are extensive and run into several volumes and thousands of pages. It is also not necessary to be fully conversant with all the rules but only those aspects that affect shipping such as licensing, accounting and use. The main regulations affecting shipping can be found in Volume I of the Radio Regulations. Chapter VII covers GMDSS and Chapter IX most other aspects of marine communications including licensing and operator certificate requirements. The latter are also covered in the STCW requirements for certain classes of navigating and deck officers.
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LICENSING
Under SOLAS all ships above 300gt are obliged to carry radio and other communications equipment. The exact carriage requirements vary but are related to GMDSS. Before a ship can operate its radio equipment it must be licensed by the flag state. A Ship Radio licence is required even if the transmitting equipment is not in constant use, or if it is used only for distress purposes. The rules covering licences are contained within Articles 18 and 19 of the ITU’s Radio Regulations. The issuing authority for ship’s radio licences is the flag state except under certain extraordinary circumstances when an interim certificate can be issued by a port state.
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND THERE ISOPERATOR NO GIVEN DETECT RIGHT FOR SEAFARERS DISABILITY WHICH TO HAVELEAD ACCESS COULD TO TO COMMUNICATIONS. MARINE ACCIDENTS. AUGUST 2014 | 7
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
Very often the licensing authority for ships is different and separate from any of the other maritime authorities. In the UK for example, it is the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is responsible for the effective management of the civil radio spectrum and in the US it is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In most other countries similar arrangements exist although in many of the open registries, the license will be issued by the same body as other ships certificates and documents. When the license is issued it will also give the call sign which is the unique identifier for the ship. The call sign and other details of vessels supplied by the licensing authority such as gross tonnage, vessel type and how many people it can carry will also be given to the ITU for inclusion in the list of call signs that all ships are obliged to carry. The List of Ship Stations and Maritime Mobile Service Identity Assignments (List V) is a service publication prepared and issued annually in accordance with provision no. 20.8 of the Radio Regulations (RR). As stipulated in Appendix 16 to the RR, this List shall be provided to all ship stations for which a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) installation is required by international agreement. As well as its call sign, a vessel fitted with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and/or (Satellite) Ship Earth Station (SES) equipment will also be allocated a unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. The Ship Radio licence allows the licensee to install and if the relevant Maritime Radio Operators’ Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate is held, use any combination of maritime radio equipment on the specified vessel. The equipment covered includes:• Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment associated with the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS); • MF, HF, VHF equipment; • Satellite communications equipment (Ship Earth Stations); • RADAR; Search and Rescue Radar Transponders (SARTs); • Low powered, on board maritime UHF communications equipment; 8 | AUGUST 2014
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REGULATION
• UHF On board repeater stations; • Aeronautical Search and Rescue equipment; • Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs).
As regards VHF and UHF equipment, a licence usually allows for an unlimited number of hand portable sets for use on board. Whilst it is not necessary to hold a Certificate of Competence in order to obtain a Ship Radio Licence or a Ship Portable Radio Licence, a maritime radio may be operated only by or under the direct personal supervision of a holder of the appropriate Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate. This is to maintain operational standards and ensure knowledge of current distress, emergency and safety procedures. The minimum Certificate of Competence that is required for use of a ship radio is the Short Range Certificate. This certificate covers use of both standard VHF and VHF/DSC equipment under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System in sea area A1. ACCOUNTS AND CHARGES
Although emergency communications are intended to be free of charge, ships are obliged to pay for any commercial traffic. In accordance with the ITU radio regulations, it is necessary for each ship station to have an internationally recognised accounting authority. Maritime Radio Accounting Authorities (MRAAs) are organisations – generally commercial companies – recognised and registered by flag states. Their purpose is to facilitate the effective collection and distribution of telecommunications charges for non-emergency radio telephone, telex and other calls from ships into the international subscriber networks. Each MRAA will be given a unique Accounting Authority Identification Code (AAIC). The AAIC consists of a two letter country code followed by a two digit numeric code denoting the particular Accounting Authority. The basic role, responsibilities and duties of MRAAs are governed by the ITU and are set down in Article 66 of AUGUST 2014 | 9
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the Radio Regulations and Appendix 2 of the International Telecommunication Regulations. Recommendation D90 of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Sector gives directions on charging, accounting and refunds in the Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile-Satellite Services. The MRAAs collate the charges from different service providers and network operators and pass them on to license holders for settlement via the MRAA. All maritime communications traffic must be prefixed with the officially recognized AAIC for the accounting authority responsible for the settlement of their radio accounts. SAFETY RADIO CERTIFICATE
As well as a license all ships are obliged under SOLAS Chapter I Regulation 9 to have a Safety Radio certificate. This certificate is one of the safety certificates normally required for a ship to produce when requesting customs clearance to depart a port. It is only issued after a survey carried out in accordance with Regulation 9 which reads: The radio installations, including those used in life-saving appliances, of cargo ships to which chapters III and IV apply shall be subject to the surveys specified below: (i) an initial survey before the ship is put in service; (ii) a renewal survey at intervals specified by the Administration but not exceeding five years, except where regulation 14(b), (e), (f) and (g) is applicable; (iii) a periodical survey within three months before or after each anniversary date of the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate; (iv) an additional survey as prescribed for passenger ships in regulation 7(b)(iii). (b) The surveys referred to in paragraph (a) shall be carried out as follows: (i) the initial survey shall include a complete inspection of the radio installations of cargo ships, including those used in life-saving appliances, to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the present regulations; 10 | AUGUST 2014
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REGULATION
(ii) the renewal and periodical surveys shall include an inspection of the radio installations of cargo ships, including those used in life-saving appliances, to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the present regulations. (c) The periodical surveys referred to in paragraph (a)(iii) shall be endorsed on the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.
OPERATOR CERTIFICATION
Certification of operators is a flag state matter but different categories of operator are recognised and the requirements for each contained in article 47 of the ITU Radio Regulations. Some of the categories in the ITU regulations cover non-SOLAS vessels and only four relate specifically to most commercial ships. These four categories of certificates, shown in descending order of requirements are:• First-class radio electronic certificate. • Second-class radio electronic certificate. • General operator’s certificate (GOC). • Restricted operator’s certificate (ROC).
An operator meeting the requirements of a certificate automatically meets all of the requirements of lower order certificates. Holders of the first two certificates are capable of both operational and maintenance/repair roles while those holding the last two certificate types are considered as operators only. Most ships must have two or more crew holding GOCs with the ROCs only recognised for ships limited to coastal service. Courses leading to certification are offered at many marine schools and other training establishments but not all will be recognised by all flag states. Crewing departments should ascertain whether a certificate will be recognised before allocating crew to ships and seafarers will also need to check if a certificate from a training establishment is recognised by the state issuing his certificate of competency. AUGUST 2014 | 11
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ďƒ¨ | CHAPTER 2: GMDSS
Iridium is pitching for GMDSS
S
AFETY IS THE MAIN REASON why radio and other communications equipment is mandated on board all ships above 300gt, any other communication possibilities may be regulated in some way as described in the previous chapter but the SOLAS rules must be adhered to if the ship is to be allowed freedom to trade around the world. The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is an international system which uses land-based and satellite technology and ship-board radio-systems to ensure rapid, automated, alerting of shore based communication and rescue authorities, in addition to ships in the immediate vicinity, in the event of a marine distress. The system was adopted by the IMO in 1988 and entered into force on 1 February 1992 with a phase-in period running until 1 February 1999 depending on ship type and size. Unlike so many SOLAS regulations, GMDSS did not so much mean installing additional equipment on board but rather a complete change in radio communications equipment and personnel. Under GMDSS, all ocean-going passenger ships and cargo ships of 300gt and above engaged on international voyages must be equipped with radio equipment that conforms to international standards as set out in the system. Chapter IV of SOLAS covers radio communications and
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equipment and it is here that the requirements for the GMDSS are to be found. When GMDSS replaced the traditional communication arrangements on ships in the late 1990s and into the opening years of the 21st Century it also heralded the era of universal satellite communications on ships and the long held monopoly of Inmarsat – then an international not for profit organisation – in safety communications. Today there are rival satellite service providers but these complement rather than replace the need to carry an Inmarsat terminal on board. GMDSS regulations allow for some flexibility in the equipment carried providing there is on-board capability to repair equipment or a contract is in place with a competent service provider. The scope of GMDSS and how it operates in practice is vast and warrants a complete book in itself in the shape of the IMOpublished GMDSS Manual. In this guide, only the basics and the equipment carriage and maintenance aspects are covered. For the purpose of GMDSS, four operational zones have been established loosely based on distance from shore and in range of different communication systems. • Sea Area A1: the area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one VHF coast station in which continuous DSC (Digital Selective Calling) alerting is available; • Sea Area A2: the area, excluding Sea Area A1, within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one MF coast station in which continuous DSC (Digital Selective Calling) alerting is available; • Sea Area A3: the area, excluding Sea Areas A1 and A2, within the coverage of an Inmarsat geostationary satellite in which continuous alerting is available; and • Sea Area A4: an area outside sea areas A1, A2 and A3.
In practical terms, this means that ships operating exclusively within about 35 nautical miles from the shore may be able to carry only equipment for VHF-DSC communications; those which go beyond this distance, up to about 150 to 400 nautical miles from AUGUST 2014 | 13
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GMDSS
shore, should carry both VHF-DSC and MF-DSC equipment; while those operating further from the shore but within the footprints of the Inmarsat satellites should additionally carry approved Inmarsat terminal(s). Digital Selective Calling (DSC) provides a means of automating all day-to-day marine terrestrial calling - making marine radio as easy to use as a telephone. DSC effectively provides the operator with a digital dialing system capable of ringing an alarm at a distant radio station when a call is addressed to that station. The digital calling information is transmitted on specially designated channels. In the case of a VHF radio, Channel 70 is dedicated for DSC use only. An added benefit of DSC is that the digital dialing signal can also carry other information, such as vessel’s identity, position and the nature of the call as well as information specifying the channel upon which subsequent communication should take place. The entire message is transmitted in one quick burst, thus reducing the demand time on the calling channel. In a distress situation, all necessary information can be sent automatically at the touch of a single button. The vessel’s position can be determined from a GPS navigation receiver connected to the radio or entered manually. Its identity is permanently coded into the radio in the form of the allocated vessels MMSI number. The nature of distress can also be selected by the operator if there is time to do so. In the early days of GMDSS, Inmarsat C was the preferred option and minimum requirement where satellite services were mandated. Current compliant services include Inmarsat B, Inmarsat C, Mini C and Fleet 77. Inmarsat’s satellite network is available in areas A1 to A3 but does not extend to area A4 which is effectively waters in Polar regions. In these areas HF communications are required although vessels equipped with some other satellite equipment systems, for example Iridium Communication systems, can communicate with shore and also ship to ship providing both vessels have similar equipment. Currently the IMO is developing a Polar Code that will apply to ships operating in A4 areas. At the first meeting of the new IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC) - formerly 14 | AUGUST 2014
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MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE) – in January 2014 the draft text of the Code was formulated. Draft chapters on Safety of navigation and Communication were referred to the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communication and Search and Rescue (NCSR) scheduled to take place in June/July 2014. It will be some time before the final text and its effect on communication regulations can be determined. AREA EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
As is clear from the description of the zones above, only ships operating in areas A3 and A4 are obliged to carry satellite communications meaning radios (operating on VHF,HF and MF) are still considered the primary means of communication in emergency situations. In addition search and rescue transponders (SARTs) and NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) are also required for GMDSS compliance. SARTs are devices which are used to locate survival craft or distressed vessels by creating a series of dots on a rescuing ship’s X-band radar display. The detection range between these devices and ships, dependent upon the height of the ship’s radar mast and the height of the SART, is normally less than about ten miles. Initially only radar SARTS were allowed but since the advent of AIS, a hybrid AIS-SART has been permitted as an alternative. Most SARTs are mostly cylindrical and in safety orange colour. NAVTEX is an international automated MF direct-printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as urgent marine safety information to ships. It was developed to provide a low-cost, simple, and automated means of receiving information aboard ships at sea within approximately 200 nautical miles off shore. A NAVTEX is usually a bracket mounted cabinet with an LCD screen displaying broadcast messages and is sometimes provided with an optional printout.
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GMDSS
TABLE OF EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS (INCLUDING DUPLICATION OF EQUIPMENT)
EQUIPMENT
A1
A2
A3 INMARSAT SOLUTION
A3 HF SOLUTION
A4
VHF WITH DSC
X
X
X
X
X
DSC WATCH RECEIVER CHANNEL 70
X
X
X
X
X
MF TELEPHONY WITH MF DSC
X
X
DSC WATCH RECEIVER MF 2187,5 KHZ
X
X
X
X
INMARSAT SHIP EARTH STATION WITH EGC RECEIVER
X
MF/HF TELEPHONY WITH DSC AND NBDP DSC WATCH RECEIVER MF/HF DUPLICATED VHF WITH DSC
W
DUPLICATED INMARSAT SHIP TO EARTH STATION (SES)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X
X
X4
DUPLICATED MF/HF TELEPHONY WITH DSC AND NBDP
X
NAVTEX RECEIVER 518 KHZ
X
X
EGC RECEIVER
X1
X1
FLOAT-FREE SATELLITE EPIRB
X
X
SART
X
X2
X2
X2
X2
X2
X3
X3
X3
X3
X3
“DISTRESS PANEL” (SOLAS CHAPTER IV/6.4 AND 6.6)
X
X
X
X
X
AUTOMATIC UPDATING OF POSITION TO ALL RELEVANT RADIO-COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT CHAPTER IV/6.5. THIS ALSO APPLIES FOR CARGO SHIPS FROM 01.07.02 (CHAPTER IV, NEW REGULATION 18)
X
X
X
X
X
TWO-WAY-ON-SCENE RADIO-COMMUNICATION ON 121,5 OR 123,1MHZ FROM THE NAVIGATING BRIDGE.(SOLAS CHAPTER IV/7.5)
X
X
X
X
X
HAND HELD GMDSS VHF TRANSCEIVERS FOR PASSENGER SHIPS THE FOLLOWING APPLIES FROM 01.07.97
1. Outside NAVTEX coverage area. 2. Cargo ships between 300 and 500gt.: 1 set. Cargo ships of 500gt. and upwards and passenger ships: 2 sets. 3. Cargo ships between 300 and 500gt.: 2 sets. Cargo ships of 500gt. and upwards and passenger ships: 3 sets. 4. INMARSAT E-EPIRB cannot be utilised in sea area A4.
AUGUST 2014 | 17
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GMDSS
GMDSS regulations define three methods of ensuring availability of GMDSS equipment at sea; • At sea electronic maintenance, requiring the carriage of a qualified radio/electronic officer (holding a GMDSS First or Second class Radio-Electronics Certificate) and adequate spares and manuals; • Duplication of certain equipment; or • Shore based maintenance
Ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A1 and A2 are required to use at least one of the three maintenance methods outlined above, or a combination as may be approved by their administration. Ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A3 and A4 are required to use at least two of the methods outlined above. The vast majority of ships do not opt for at sea maintenance preferring instead to duplicate the equipment and use shore based maintenance (for A3 ships), or use shore based maintenance only (A1 and A2 ships). GMDSS equipment is required to be powered from three sources of supply: • ship’s normal alternators/generators; • ship’s emergency alternator/generator (if fitted); and • a dedicated radio battery supply.
The batteries are required to have a capacity to power the equipment for 1 hour on ships with an emergency generator, and 6 hours on ships not fitted with an emergency generator. The batteries must be charged by an automatic charger, which is also required to be powered from the main and emergency generators. Changeover from AC to battery supply must be automatic, and effected in such a way that any data held by the equipment is not corrupted. 18 | AUGUST 2014
INMARSAT’S SATELLITE NETWORK IS AVAILABLE IN AREAS A1 TO A3 BUT DOES NOT EXTEND TO AREA A4 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY WATERS IN POLAR REGIONS.
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XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND YOUNG DETECTENTREPRENEUR OPERATOR AWARD DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
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XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
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GMDSS
A survey of GMDSS equipment is needed at regular intervals for the ship to be issued with and retain a valid Safety Radio Certificate which is one of the key documents that a vessel must produce to be permitted to sail from most ports globally. Survey of radio installation on SOLAS ships should be carried out in accordance with the rules laid down in IMO Res. A.746(18) “Survey Guidelines under the harmonised system of survey and certification” R 8 (adopted by IMO), and SOLAS 1974 as amended, chapter I, part B. The radio survey should always be performed by a fully qualified radio surveyor who has adequate knowledge of the IMO’s relevant conventions and associated performance standards and appropriate ITU Radio Regulations. The radio survey should be carried out using suitable test equipment capable of performing all relevant measurements required by these guidelines. It is considered as very important that the responsible radio operators are properly instructed and trained in how to use the GMDSS radio equipment. The radio licence and certificate for the radio operator/operators should be checked during the survey. There are a number of different types of GMDSS qualifications, as follows : First Class Radio-Electronic Certificate; Second Class Radio-Electronic Certificate; and GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate GMDSS Restricted Operator’s Certificate
The First and Second Radio-Electronic Certificates are designed for Ship’s Radio-Electronic Officers, who sail on GMDSS ships which use the option of at-sea electronic maintenance. The GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate is a non-technical operator qualification, designed for Navigating Officers. The GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate is normally awarded after a ten day course and examination. AUGUST 2014 | 21
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| CHAPTER 3: SINGTEL
SingTel - Making life XX PURPOSE easierOF forAoperators BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
S
INGTEL IS THE LARGEST LISTED COMPANY on the Singapore Exchange by market capitalisation but for ship operators it is the services on offer rather than the size of the company that matters most and as the region’s largest communications provider SingTel has plenty to offer. Lim Kian Soon, Head, Satellite at SingTel stresses that what distinguishes SingTel is that it prides itself on offering more than might be expected and aims to go the extra mile with a number of value added services. Those extra services are in addition to a full range of communication systems running from minimal compliance with GMDSS to a VSAT service able to cope with the heaviest of demands. This diversity of offerings allows operators to select a best fit portfolio matched to their own operational strategies. Mr. Lim also believes that broadband services are what the shipping industry will be looking for in the future. Currently around 30% of the company’s income comes from narrow band services and of the 70% that comes from broadband around 50% is from Fleet Broadband and 20% from VSAT services. Mr. Lim says that there is a noticeable decline in narrow band year on year. As a service provider, SingTel can offer services from Inmarsat and Iridium as well as regional V and Ku band VSAT services using its own satellites. It offers global C and Ku-band VSAT through
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partnerships. SingTel has also developed its own compact antenna for C-Band VSAT use. The antenna won both Seatrade Asia Award – Technical Innovation Award 2009 and Lloyd’s List Asia Award 2009 – Innovation award for maritime broadband. Mr. Lim said it was a desire to help customer save cost that was behind SingTel’s innovative world first and award winning 1.5m C-band stabilized antenna. The powerful antenna cuts down both capital outlay and operational costs and is up to 2.2 times lighter which helps in promoting fuel efficiency. Compared to a standard 2.4m antenna, customers enjoy a 40% to 50% saving on capital outlay when opting for the 1.5m antenna instead. SingTel’s ST-2 satellite operates in Extended C-band which allows the use of the 1.5m C-band antenna over a wide-ranging footprint covering the Middle East, Central Asia, Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and Mediterranean Sea. The service is eminently suitable for data, voice and video applications including internet, e-mail, VoIP, video conferencing, video security, file transfers, back-up and VPN (Virtual Private Network) access. The SingTel AIO Multi-VoIP service uses one of the lowest encoding rate of 2.15kbps per call, supporting postpaid lines and up to 8 VoIP lines. Voice quality can be adjusted mid-conversation to achieve anything from VoIP quality calls to almost PSTN voice quality calls. One of the services that SingTel has introduced which highlights the value added services Mr. Lim believes marks SingTel out from the crowd is the company’s Secure ECDIS service. With the IMO roll-out of mandatory ECDIS now in swing, SingTel has devised a service that will allow operators an easy route to compliance. It features a lease-to-own model that bundles monthly recurring charges with other satcom services ensuring no initial capital outlay and repayment over two years. SingTel’s Secure-ECDIS is an all-inclusive package that combines electronic chart navigation services with a suite of SingTel satcom services. By including essential services such as Fleetbroadband and Maritime VSAT, SingTel Secure-ECDIS realises operational efficiencies to deliver cost savings. The service facilitates fast and
Lim Kian Soon Head of Satellitte
THE ANTENNA WON BOTH SEATRADE ASIA AWARD – TECHNICAL INNOVATION AWARD 2009 AND LLOYD’S LIST ASIA AWARD 2009 – INNOVATION AWARD FOR MARITIME BROADBAND. AUGUST JULY 2014 | 23
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
easy digital network access. It also features type-approved firewall and anti-virus protectors that shield onboard systems from possible electronic attacks and ensure accurate chart transference via secure dedicated lines. In addition, the service comes with a remote diagnostic and troubleshooting feature that permits SingTel to remotely connect to the vessel from ashore ensuring that customers receive support when necessary. Another service that falls outside of conventional communication provision is SingTel’s Mobile Video Surveillance. This service allows users to access video feeds (typically four cameras) on board the vessels anywhere, anytime from their mobile devices or from a PC. SingTel’s Mobile Video Surveillance offers bandwidth utilisation savings between 20x to 400x when compared to most CCTVs in the market. This is achieved because the solution transmits four video streams from four separate cameras as low as 5kbps in total while CCTVs in the market transmits between 100kbps to 2Mbps per camera. In addition to having four camera feeds transmitted over a single stream for manageable bandwidth allocation, its multicast function also allows unlimited number of viewers over the stream, thus
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
Secure-ECDIS combines ECDIS with a suite of SINGTEL Satcom services. Caption to go here
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SINGTEL’S ADDED VALUE SERVICES MAKE LIFE EASIER
data cost savings onboard ships are even higher at 160x to 3200x. SingTel’s Mobile Video Surveillance offers unique high resolution enhancement feature to clearly magnify any chosen area in footage, freezing it to still image. It also utilises the highest level of AES256 encryption for secured streaming. SingTel Mobile Video Surveillance is the first of its kind to offer auto switching across different networks, from 2G to 3G to satellite connection. With huge number of ships still on an average data allowance of 200MB per month, the ability to automatically locate and switchover flexibly to a 2G or 3G network in coastal waters significantly saves out of bundle costs. SingTel’s Mobile Video Surveillance is built and optimised for use over satellite communications and ensures that inaccessible and temporary sites can be protected with proactive monitoring. It is tested to work seamlessly with mainstream satellite communications services including Maritime VSAT and FleetBroadband and has been developed with cost savings in mind on two counts. For ships with limited bandwidth, this solution lowers operation and running costs with higher bandwidth compression, it also provides for seamless auto switchover between satellite broadband and local 3G services for lower costs while supporting continuous monitoring when ships are in coastal waters. Catering to the mobile lifestyle, authorised users of the ship operator can easily monitor and retrieve footages of activities onboard ships even on the go as video streams can be viewed over both IOS and Android mobile devices. Viewers can also playback past video footages up to one month old remotely bypassing the need to retrieve hard disks from ships. Crew welfare has not been forgotten and is proving increasingly popular among many of SingTel’s operator customers. CrewXchange@SingTel provides a one-stop entertainment and social hub for crew onboard. One option is CrewLink that allows for structured communications for shipping companies needing a private online community with crew across multiple vessels, and another is VoiceLink for fully web-based VoIP call between PCs and to mobile or land lines with 2.15kbps encoding rate.
SINGTEL’S MOBILE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OFFERS BANDWIDTH UTILISATION SAVINGS BETWEEN 20X TO 400X WHEN COMPARED TO MOST CCTVS IN THE MARKET. AUGUST 2014 | 25
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
SINGTEL’S ADDED VALUE SERVICES MAKE LIFE EASIER
SingTel includes a trimmed down version of Facebook and Twitter within the CrewXchange portal allowing seafarers to access favourite social media sites within the CrewXchange portal rather than hopping between sites which consumes additional data and bandwidth. SingTel understands that communications are a vital element of shipping and while it is in its own interest to ensure vessels remain connected, it aids operators in maintaining networks. This is something that is taking on increasing importance as ship operators make use of remote diagnostics and montoring of essential items of machinery and equipment. It does this by means of iNMS (Integrated Network Management System). With iNMS, shipping companies can at one glance, determine the position of their vessels and also if communications link on their vessels are up and running. It aids troubleshooting for the vessels which are disconnected by showing all the way down to the level of the status of the network devices onboard. A lot of service providers claim to listen to their customers but often this is just a marketing message. SingTel believes that listening means more than taking note of an occasional complaint or suggestion and takes a pro-active role in gaining feedback. This takes the form of an annual round table session to which owners and operators are invited along with representatives of crew and industry organisations. The largest listed company on the Singapore Exchange
26 | AUGUST 2014
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
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XXXXXXX 1: REGULATION | CHAPTER 4: OTHER SAFETY & SECURITY
MarineTraffic CaptionAIS to network go here
N
OT EVERY ASPECT OF SAFETY communication is covered by the GMDSS requirements. Technically a ship’s radar systems operate using radio transmissions but they are not considered as communication devices but another collision avoidance system is because it transmits information intended to be used by other vessels and shore stations. Automatic Identification System (AIS) was developed purely as a response to that problem and to aid shore-based VTS operators as well as navigators on ships to properly identify radar targets. AIS consists of a transponder system in which ships continually transmit their ID, position, course, speed and other data over VHF. The data transmitted is derived from ships equipment as regards position, course and speed, from initial input for the ID which comprises ship’s name and call sign and from direct manual input for other details such as port of destination and type of cargo. Updated information is transmitted at regular intervals of very short duration. When received on the other ships, the data is decoded and displayed for the officer of the watch, who can view AIS reports from all other AIS-equipped ships within range in graphic and text format. The AIS data may optionally be fed to the ship’s integrated navigation systems and radar plotting systems to provide AIS “tags” for radar targets. The AIS data can also be logged to the ship’s
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XXXXX
Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) for playback and future analysis. In 2000, IMO adopted a new requirement as part of a revised new chapter V for all ships to carry AIS capable of providing information about the ship to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically. The regulation requires AIS to be fitted aboard all ships of 300gt and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500gt and upwards not engaged on international voyages and all passenger ships irrespective of size. The requirement became effective for all ships by 31 December 2004. The IMO regulation requires ships fitted with AIS to maintain AIS in operation at all times except where international agreements, rules or standards provide for the protection of navigational information. The regulation requires that the AIS must provide information - including the ship’s identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational status and other safety-related information automatically to appropriately equipped shore stations, other ships and aircraft and to receive automatically such information from similarly fitted ships. In recent years, satellites have been launched that can receive AIS signals when ships are out of the range of shore stations. Although initially intended only for navigation use by ships and shore authorities, AIS data is now regularly disseminated by commercial operations either to subscribers or on a gratis basis allowing almost anyone to determine any specific ship’s current whereabouts and operational status. The IMO does not condone this use but appears powerless to prevent it. More comprehensive information on the carriage and performance requirements of AIS can be found in the ShipInsight Navigation & Bridge Guide Pt1. SHIP SECURITY ALERT SYSTEM
Following the terrorist attacks in New York in September 2001, the IMO Diplomatic Conference on Maritime Security held in London in December 2002 adopted several amendments to SOLAS. These amendments include the introduction of Maritime Security in Chapter XI of SOLAS 74 and incorporate the International Ship and
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL AIS CONSISTS A WATCH ALARMOF SYSTEM TRANSPONDER SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR IN WHICH SHIPS BRIDGE ACTIVITY SOLAS OWES ITS AND CONTINUALLY DETECT OPERATOR EXISTENCE TO TRANSMIT THE THEIR ID, POSITION, DISABILITY WHICH INTERNATIONAL COURSE, SPEED COULD LEAD RESPONSE TOTOTHEANDLOSS OTHER OVER VHF. MARINE ACCIDENTS. IN 1912DATA OF THE TITANIC. AUGUST 2014 | 29
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OTHER SAFETY & SECURITY
Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code which came into effect on 1 July 2004. As a consequence all passenger vessels and other ships over 500gt are required to be provided with a ship security alert system (SSAS). The requirements of the system are specified in Regulation 6 of Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS 74. In regard to Regulation 6.2.1, the ship security alert system, when activated by the ship shall: • initiate and transmit a ship-to-shore security alert to a competent authority designated by the Administration, which in these circumstances may include the Company, identifying the ship, its location and indicating that the security of the ship is under threat or it has been compromised; • not send the ship security alert to any other ships; • not raise any alarm on board the ship; and • continue the ship security alert until deactivated and/or reset.
The regulation goes on to say that the SSAS shall be capable of being activated from the navigation bridge and in at least one other location and conform to performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the Organization. The SSAS activation points must be designed so as to prevent the inadvertent initiation of the ship security alert. When a flag state receives notification of a ship security alert it is obliged to immediately notify the state(s) in the vicinity of which the ship is presently operating. If the alert is received by any state other than the flag state, that Contracting Government should immediately notify the relevant flag state and, if appropriate, the state(s) in the vicinity of which the ship is presently operating. The exact type of equipment that can be used to satisfy the regulation is not specified but some operators have chosen to make use of the GMDSS radio station while many others have installed separate and dedicated satellite equipment. BY the standards of modern communications technology, SSAS is quite basic comprising a GPS receiver linked to a transmitter, a power supply, some software and activation buttons. Because the technology is simple and the market huge, a 30 | AUGUST 2014
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NAVIGATION RADAR
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XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS. JUNE 2014 | 31
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sizeable number of manufacturers have come up with SSAS products. They can all be expected to meet the necessary legal obligations but the ways in which they do this vary somewhat. The principal differences centre on the methods used to transmit the alarm message, but there are also a number of other features and benefits. As an example, some suppliers will act as a co-ordinating centre and when an alert signal is received they will contact selected personnel of the owner or manager. At least one – Pole Star – has developed an app for smart phones that will give all the information to designated persons whenever an alert is made. LONG RANGE IDENTIFICATION & TRACKING
After the use of AIS for reasons of security (rather than its intended aim of collision avoidance) was found to be inefficient, at MSC 81in 2006 the IMO adopted proposals for long-range tracking and identification of ships (LRIT), to form part of SOLAS Chapter V. The obligations of ships to transmit LRIT information and the rights and obligations of SOLAS Contracting Governments and of Search and rescue services to receive LRIT information are established in regulation V/19-1 of SOLAS. Provisions of the amendment came into force in 2009 after which all internationally-trading vessels over 300gt operating outside of GMDSS Sea Areas A1 were required to install the necessary equipment and transmit via satellite technology their identity, location, date and time of position to shoreside bodies authorised to receive it. Ships operating exclusively in coastal Sea Area A1 and fitted with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) are exempt. LRIT requires ships to make regular transmissions of identification and position every six hours to a tracking service which can only release the information with the authority of the vessel’s flag state. Other states with an interest in particular ships may make applications to the flag state for access to the information. If security levels are raised, or if a particular ship becomes of special interest, then the regularity of transmissions and monitoring 32 | AUGUST 2014
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OTHER SAFETY & SECURITY XXXXX
may be stepped up to as much as once every 15 minutes. The operating standards for LRIT demand that the transmissions can be controlled remotely, without intervention on board. Effectively this means that the transmitter must be of a type that can be polled by a service nominated by the flag state. Unusually for a new IMO regulation, the vast majority of ships were not required to install any new equipment but only certification proving that whatever was on board and intended for use was in compliance with the LRIT equipment requirements. For most vessels the Inmarsat C GMDSS system is acceptable, as are some SSAS devices. Some Iridium systems are also approved for LRIT compliance. Whatever equipment is used must either have its own in-built GPS system or be connected to an external GPS. Ensuring that ships comply with the LRIT regulations is the responsibility of the flag state. Under the LRIT framework, each state can either establish a national data centre (DC) or join with others to form a regional or co-operative data centre. Flag states have appointed Application Service Providers (ASP) to manage communications between the ship, the Communication Service Provider (CSP) and the DC. All information is stored by the various DCs and passed to other centres and states when authorised by a ship’s flag state. The choice of ASP is down to the ship operator from any appointed by the flag state. Many ASPs have been appointed by several flag states.
A graphical display of AIS data
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stay connected at sea Delivering high powered satellite capacity from 1˚ West
Caption to go here
Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR 7 satellite, which is expected to launch in Q4/2014 includes a Multi-Gigabit HTS payload, addressing the surge in demand for high bandwidth requirements from the maritime industry and will deliver a bandwidth efficient service with high bit rates to meet our customers’ growing expectations.
Find out more about how we can help you and your customers stay connected at sea. 34 | JUNE 2014
www.telenorsat.com
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
SUPPLIERS TABLE MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
COMPANY
WEBSITE
GMDSS EQUIPMENT
SATELLITE OPERATOR
SERVICE PROVIDER
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE
WWW.SATCOM-AIRBUSDS.COM
•
ALPHATRON MARINE BV
WWW.ALPHATRONMARINE.COM
•
COBHAM SATCOM
WWW.COBHAM.COM
•
COMTECH
WWW.COMTECHEFDATA.COM
FURUNO
WWW.FURUNO.COM
GLOBALSTAR
WWW.GLOBALSTAR.COM
GLOBECOMM
WWW.GLOBECOMMSYSTEMS.COM
•
HARRIS CAPROCK
WWW.HARRISCAPROCK.COM
•
•
•
IMTECH MARINE
WWW.IMTECHMARINE.COM
•
•
•
INMARSAT
WWW.INMARSAT.COM
•
•
INTELLIAN
WWW.INTELLIANTECH.COM
IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS
WWW.IRIDIUM.COM
JRC
WWW.JRC.CO.JP
KNS
WWW.KNS-KR.COM
KVH
WWW.KVH.COM
MARINE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
•
•
• •
VSAT
OTHER
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• •
• •
•
•
• • •
• •
•
•
•
WWW.MTLLC.US
•
•
•
MARITIME BROADBAND
WWW.MARITIMEBROADBAND.COM
•
•
MARLINK
WWW.MARLINK.COM
•
•
MCP
WWW.MCP.COM
MTN COMMUNICATIONS
WWW.MTNSAT.COM
•
•
•
NAVARINO
WWW.NAVARINO.GR
•
•
•
NSSLGLOBAL
WWW.NSSLGLOBAL.COM
OCEAN SAT
WWW.OCEANSAT.COM
•
OTESAT -MARITEL
WWW.OTESAT-MARITEL.COM
•
•
POLE STAR
WWW.POLESTARGLOBAL.COM
REDPORT GLOBAL
WWW.REDPORTGLOBAL.COM
•
•
•
SAM ELECTRONICS
WWW.SAM-ELECTRONICS.DE
•
•
SES
WWW.SES.COM
•
SINGTEL
WWW.SINGTELOFFICEATSEA.COM
•
•
•
SMSGLOBAL
WWW.SMSGLOBAL.NET
•
SPEEDCAST
WWW.SPEEDCAST.COM
•
•
TELENOR SATELLITE BROADCASTING
WWW.TELENORSAT.COM
•
•
•
THURAYA
WWW.THURAYA.COM
•
•
•
• •
•
• • • • •
• • •
AUGUST 2014 | 35
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XXXXXXX | CHAPTER 5: SATELLITE SYSTEMS
Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s largest teleport, Nittedal, located just outside of Oslo, Norway
T
HIS GUIDE IS NOT INTENDED TO be a comprehensive manual for satellite technology but will include some basic detail on the radio spectrum and the type of services available. A satellite will transmit data to a ship or receive data from a ship. All satellites make use of a beam which is a pattern of electromagnetic waves transmitted by the satellite. The transmission from a satellite has a defined pattern and the beam can be wide or narrow covering a large or small area on earth. Using a system of varying frequencies and alignment of antennas onboard the satellite, each satellite can have several beams within which all or most of the satellite’s power is concentrated. The antennae on the ship are rarely stationary due to the constant movement of the vessel when under way and thus require the dish to be mobile in all dimensions. Most ships’ communication systems are required to share channels with others which is perfectly fine for simple communication needs but highly inefficient when dealing with the large quantities of data that some operators generate. This can be overcome by making use of a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) service. Subscribers to VSAT services are provided with exclusive or semi-exclusive use of satellite channels for sending and receiving voice and data at broadband speeds. Usually they are charged 36 | AUGUST 2014
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for this on a monthly fixed fee subscription basis (although there may be limits on the data allowed before extra charges apply) as opposed to the rate per Mbit charged when using basic services. This enables a network to be created that permits the transmission of large quantities of data. The service is ideal for the offshore industry as it enables survey and other data to be transmitted at will and it is also popular among high end and middle rate cruise ship operators who may have similar high volume requirements. SATELLITE PIONEERS
As far as shipping is concerned, the satellite communications era began with the establishment in the 1970s of Inmarsat a not-forprofit international organisation, set up at the behest of the IMO to provide a satellite communications network for the maritime community. Initially the service was used purely for commercial purposes allowing voice and telex communication with ships at sea equipped with an Inmarsat A terminal. Without the advent of GMDSS and the mandatory requirement for most ships to be fitted with at least an Inmarsat C terminal, it is doubtful if the marine satellite communications sector would have expanded at anything like the rate it has. By having an Inmarsat terminal on board, ships immediately gained e-mail as a new method of communication. Early Inmarsat services were described by an alphabetical reference being Inmarsat A, B, C, D and E. When the letter F was reached, the service was renamed Fleet followed by a number (33, 55 or 77) indicating the size of the antenna in centimetres. Inmarsat-A was the original Inmarsat service and offered analog FM voice and telex services and, optionally, high speed data services at 56 or 64 kbit/s. The service was withdrawn at the end of 2007. Inmarsat-B provides voice services, telex services, medium speed fax/data services at 9.6 kbit/s and high speed data services at 56, 64 or 128 kbit/s. Inmarsat-C effectively this is a “satellite telex” terminal with
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL THE TRANSMISSION WATCH ALARM SYSTEM FROM A SATELLITE HAS (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR ABRIDGE DEFINED PATTERN ACTIVITY SOLAS OWES ITS ANDAND THE BEAM CAN BE WIDE DETECT OPERATOR EXISTENCE TO THE OR NARROWWHICH COVERING DISABILITY INTERNATIONAL ACOULD LARGELEAD ORTOSMALL AREA TOTHE LOSS RESPONSE ON EARTH.ACCIDENTS. MARINE IN 1912 OF THE TITANIC. AUGUST 2014 | 37
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
store-and-forward, polling etc. it can handle data and messages up to 32kb in length, transmitted in data packets in ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship and ship-to-ship direction. Message length for Inmarsat Mini C terminals may be smaller. Certain models of Inmarsat-C terminals with GPS are also approved for GMDSS use. Inmarsat D/D+ is a paging service not regularly used on ships. Inmarsat-E was a global maritime distress alerting service using small EPIRBs that automatically relayed distress messages to maritime Rescue Coordination Centres. This service has been withdrawn. Inmarsat Fleet 77 offers voice and the choice of mobile ISDN up to 64kbps or an always-on Mobile Packet Data Services (MPDS) for cost-effective, virtually global communications. Fleet 77 also meets the distress and safety specifications of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) for voice communication. Inmarsat FleetBroadband introduced in 2006 when the first of Inmarsat’s i-4 satellites went into service. It offer a shared-channel IP packet-switched service of up to 492 kbit/s and a streaming-IP service from 32 up to X-Stream data rate. X-Stream delivers the fastest, on demand streaming data rates from a minimum of 384 kbit/s up to around 450 kbit/s. Most terminals also offer circuitswitched Mobile ISDN services at 64 kbit/s and even low speed (4.8 kbit/s) voice services. Inmarsat does not market its services directly but through service providers who are also able to market the services of other satellite network operators. Because of its GMDSS role, Inmarsat has dominated the marine satellite sector but it is not without competitors in the commercial communications arena. Among those competing, Iridium Communications was a front runner in voice and light data usage and had the advantage of being able to offer a wider pole to pole coverage that Inmarsat could not match due to the differences in the satellite constellations. Iridium has just begun a project under the title Iridium Next and is in the process of replacing its existing satellite network with a series of new satellites. Since the advent of GMDSS, Inmarsat has become a private 38 | AUGUST 2014
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company and although committed to maintaining the safety services it is no longer focused solely on the marine sector as it once was. Recently the IMO has decided that the GMDSS communications should be opened up to other satellite operators and in April, Iridium Communications announced it had formally submitted a comprehensive application to the IMO via the US government for the provision of mobile satellite communications in the GMDSS. If the application is approved, Iridium could begin providing GMDSS services in late 2015. GETTING MORE BANDWIDTH
The radio spectrum is divided into a number of bands some with a wider spread than others. Each of the bands is used for a slightly different purpose. Radio communications on LF, MF, VHF and UHF are all on frequencies below 1GHz which is the point in the spectrum allocated to satellite communications and ship’s radar. When it comes to communications equipment on board a ship, VSAT mostly requires a choice to be made between systems operating on either C-band or Ku-band frequency. Vessels with modest traffic should opt for Ku-band, which requires less power and smaller antennae. Bigger dishes and more power are needed for the larger bandwidth and better quality of C-band systems. The attraction of VSAT is that whichever band is chosen the equipment usually comes as part of a lease package with a fixed monthly payment, making for greater control over communication expenditure. On many modern ships the operational element of communication use is expanding rapidly and crews are beginning to expect the kinds of email, internet and calling services that they receive on shore. Greater bandwidth is on the horizon to meet the expanding market by making use of the Ka-Band. Inmarsat is investing in three satellites to use Ka-band radio frequencies and deliver mobile broadband speeds of 50Mbps.
INMARSAT DOES NOT MARKET ITS SERVICES DIRECTLY BUT THROUGH SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO ARE ALSO ABLE TO MARKET THE SERVICES OF OTHER SATELLITE NETWORK OPERATORS. AUGUST 2014 Â | 39
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L -BAND (1-2 GH
Almost all of the Inmarsat and all of the Iridium services operate in the part of the radio spectrum labelled as L-band which is very narrow and congested. Being a relatively low frequency, L-band is easier to process, requiring less sophisticated and less expensive RF equipment, and due to a wider beam width, the pointing accuracy of the antenna does not have to be as accurate as the higher bands. Only a small portion (1.3-1.7GHz) of L-Band is allocated to satellite communications on Inmarsat for the Fleet Broadband, Inmarsat-B and C services. L-Band is also used for low earth orbit satellites, military satellites, and terrestrial wireless connections like GSM mobile phones. It is also used as an intermediate frequency for satellite TV where the Ku or Ka band signals are down-converted to L-Band at the antenna. Although the equipment needed for L-Band communications is not expensive in itself, since there is not much bandwidth available in L-band, it is a costly commodity. For this reason, as the usage of data heavy applications has grown, shipping has turned to more sophisticated technology for commercial communications. S-BAND (2-4 GHZ)
Used for marine radar systems C-BAND (4-8 GHZ)
C-band is typically used by large ships and particularly cruise vessels that require uninterrupted, dedicated, always on connectivity as they move from region to region. The ship operators usually lease segment of satellite bandwidth that is provided to the ships on a 40 | AUGUST 2014
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SATELLITE SYSTEMS
full time basis, providing connections to the Internet, the public telephone networks, and data transmission ashore. C-band is also used for terrestrial microwave links, which can present a problem when vessels come into port and interfere with critical terrestrial links. This has resulted in serious restrictions within 300Km of the coast, requiring terminals to be turned off when coming close to land. X-BAND (8-12 GHZ)
Used for marine radar systems KU-BAND (12-18 GHZ)
ALTHOUGH THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR L-BAND COMMUNICATIONS IS NOT EXPENSIVE IN ITSELF, SINCE THERE IS NOT MUCH BANDWIDTH AVAILABLE IN L-BAND, IT IS A COSTLY COMMODITY.
Ku-Band refers to the lower portion of the K-Band. The "u" comes from a German term referring to "under" whereas the "a" in Ka- Band refers to "above" or the top part of K-Band. Ku-Band is used for most VSAT systems on ships. There is much more bandwidth available in Ku -Band and it is less expensive that C or L-band. The main disadvantage of Ku-Band is rain fade. The wavelength of rain drops coincides with the wavelength of Ku-Band causing the signal to be attenuated during rain showers. This can be overcome by transmitting extra power. The pointing accuracy of the antennas need to be much tighter than L-Band Inmarsat terminals, due to narrower beam widths, and consequently the terminals need to be more precise and tend to be more expensive. Ku band coverage is generally by regional spot beams, covering major land areas with TV reception. VSAT Vessels moving from region to region need to change satellite beams, sometimes with no coverage in between beams. In most instances the satellite terminals and modems can be programmed to automatically switch beams.VSAT Antenna sizes typically range from a standard 1m to 1.5m in diameter for operation in fringe areas and, more recently, as low as 60cm for spread spectrum operation. KA-BAND (26.5-40 GHZ)
Ka-Band is an extremely high frequency requiring great pointing accuracy and sophisticated RF equipment. Like Ku-band it is AUGUST 2014Â | 41
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SATELLITE SYSTEMS
susceptible to rain fade. It is commonly used for high definition satellite TV. Ka-Band bandwidth is plentiful and once implemented should be quite inexpensive compared to Ku-Band. Inmarsat will likely be the first to provide a global Ka-Band VSAT service as its GlobalXpress service comes on stream in 2014. The service will be using Inmarsat’s fifth generation satellites, the first of which arrived on station earlier this year. As more Ka-Band bandwidth becomes available, there will be several other satellite providers offering Ka-Band VSAT on a more regional basis. Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR 7 HTS Ka band payload offers 6-9 Gbps throughput with up to 25 simultaneously active spot beams. THOR 7 , which is expected to launch in Q4, 2014, will provide high- powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. Ka-Sat will cover most of Europe. Yahsat 1b, NewSat Australia, Eutelsat and Avanti Communications will also provide Middle East coverage, offering mariners with strictly regional European and Middle East sailings a Ka-Band alternative to Global Xpress. With new services in different bands coming on streams, some providers will be operating hybrid services that take advantage of the cheapest network at any given time. The technologies required to facilitate hybrid networks are already well under development and consist of dual-band satellite antennas, Ku and Ka-Band switchable antennas, and the use of equivalent modem/hub infrastructure.
Inmarsat GlobalXpress
42 | AUGUST 2014
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XXXXXXX | CHAPTER 6: 1: REGULATION COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE
Caption The VHF to goRadio here
L
EAVING ASIDE ANY CIVILIAN COMMUNICATIONS such as mobile phones and computers able to connect to 3G and 4G data networks or wi-fi hotspots, the lowest level of marine communications is VHF radio. VHF operates on a range of frequencies with each frequency given a channel number. There are more than 80 channels but not all are used for marine purposes. While many channels are allocated by international agreement for specific purposes, others are reserved for specific communication purposes by national maritime authorities or VTS systems. The following VHF marine frequencies have been set aside by the ITU for particular purposes. These frequencies are internationally accepted by most nations and will be found on all VHF Marine Radios regardless of where or by whom they are manufactured. • Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) - The international distress, safety and calling frequency. • Channel 70 (156.525 MHz) - Digital Selective Calling frequency. • Channel 13 (156.650 MHz) - Bridge to Bridge navigation frequency. • Channel 06 (156.300 MHz), Channel 10 (156.500 MHz), Channel 67 (156.375 MHz), and Channel 73 (156.675 MHz)
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Have been set aside for coordinated search and rescue operations. Many countries have assigned closely related safety communications traffic to these frequencies as well as their primary SAR usage.
Channels can be either simplex or duplex. Simplex is where both transmitter and receiver are operating on a single (or the same) frequency, for example VHF CH12 and VHF CH 16. On simplex channels it is not possible to transmit and receive simultaneously. Simplex channels are mainly used for distress, urgency, safety and routine calling purposes, port, pilotage, harbour and inter-ship operations. Conversations on simplex channels can be heard by all receivers operating on the same channel. Duplex channels are normally only used for communication between vessels and coast radio stations and for port operations and ship movement. With duplex channels transmissions can only be heard by the coast radio station. However, all ship stations listening to the same channel can hear the coast radio station transmission. VHF radios can be fixed or portable. The fixed equipment is housed on the bridge or radio room and will likely be part of the ship’s GMDSS equipment. It will be used for bridge to bridge communications and conversations with VTS etc. Portable VHF radios are used on ships for routine on board communications such as when mooring and unmooring or during cargo handling when conversations may take place between the ship and stevedores ashore. Some portable VHF sets will have GPS and DSC capability meaning they can be used for both routine and GMDSS purposes. The IMO performance standard requires that portable VHF equipment intended to be used in lifeboats and liferafts should: • provide operation on VHF channel 16 (the radiotelephone distress and calling channel) and one other channel
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XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR VHF OPERATES A BRIDGE ACTIVITYONAND RANGE OFOPERATOR FREQUENCIES DETECT WITH EACH FREQUENCY DISABILITY WHICH GIVEN ALEAD CHANNEL COULD TO NUMBER.ACCIDENTS. MARINE AUGUST 2014 | 45
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• be capable of operation by unskilled personnel • be capable of operation by personnel wearing gloves • be capable of single handed operation, except for channel changing • withstand drops on to a hard surface from a height of 1m • be watertight to a depth of 1m for at least 5 minutes, and • maintain watertightness when subjected to a thermal shock of 45°C • not be unduly effected by seawater or oil • have no sharp projections which could damage survival craft • be of small size and weight • be capable of operating in the ambient noise level likely to be • encountered on board survival craft • have provisions for attachment to the clothing of the user • be either a highly visible yellow/orange colour or marked with a surrounding yellow/orange marking strip • be resistant to deterioration by prolonged exposure to sunlight
Approved VHF sets fixed and portable and both GMDSS and non-GMDSS are freely available at almost every port from ship chandlers and specialist equipment providers. Prices vary but the normal outlay is between $100 and $200 for a handheld VHF and fixed sets costing around double that. GMDSS stations Depending on the sea areas (A1-A4) a ship operates in, the GMDSS requirements will dictate what communications systems are carried. It is possible to assemble a GMDSS compliant set up from individual components but most ships are fitted with an integrated station supplied by one of the many specialist communications and navigation equipment providers. An integrated station has several benefits over a custom assembled set-up. Firstly, compatibility and connectivity is guaranteed and secondly only a single power supply connection is needed. As most integrated systems are supplied by major equipment suppliers, the issue of spare parts and repairs is likely to be much less of a problem with access to an established network 46 | AUGUST 2014
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of agents and repair centres. Even with an integrated station there are some peripheral items that are installed elsewhere, the bridge fixed VHF being a good example. The systems are mostly quite compact and with the screens only needed to display text messages, there is no need for the large displays used elsewhere on the bridge for ECDIS and radar use. As mentioned earlier, vessels are obliged to carry trained GMDSS operators who must supervise the use of the communications but the automated emergency DSC aspect of the equipment means that in a distress situation, all necessary information can be sent automatically at the touch of a single button by any crew member.
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SATELLITE SYSTEMS
Satellite systems comprise two main components, the antennae which is installed above the bridge and the electronics and displays below. The antennae are discussed later in the next section of this chapter. With most L-Band systems, the cost of the system and antennae will fall to the ship operator and the equipment will be owned outright. When opting for VSAT systems, there is a choice with many shipowners preferring to lease the equipment rather than purchase it themselves. Aside from the lower capital outlay, a lease contract will ensure that advances in technology do not render expensive equipment obsolete as the lessor will usually provide upgrades as necessary. The under deck components of a satellite system are normally nothing more than a less than imposing box of electronics to which multiple components can be attached. If the system has been installed solely for GMDSS purposes, the only connected devices will be the GMDSS station and any remote displays. Where the satellite system has been installed for reasons other than GMDSS, the attached devices can be many and various. In many ships the satellite communication unit will be connected to a local area network (LAN) to which will also be connected
XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS. AUGUST 2014 Â | 47
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several PCs, communication devices such as telephones, faxes and possible wireless hubs allowing use of mobile phones, PDAs and tablets. Updating of electronic navigation charts is already common on many ships and as the rollout of mandatory ECDIS accelerates it will become even more so. Another use that is growing is the monitoring of engines and other equipment on board. Sensors on engines recording temperature, pressure and multiple other parameters using a proprietary control unit can have the data they recorded compiled and sent via the satellite to the machinery supplier for constant diagnostics and to satisfy computer-based maintenance programmes. Remote monitoring and reporting need not be confined to machinery, it is possible to link an output from a ship’s VDR to the communication system and so supply the shore office with information for incident investigation or even real time monitoring in emergencies. On certain research and seismic vessels, the data from instruments can also be compiled and despatched automatically. Despite satellite equipment having now been installed on ships for around four decades, it has to be said that the opportunities and benefits that it offers are only just beginning to be explored. However, with the world fleet growing rapidly in numbers and data usage expanding even faster, the limits of even the increased bandwidth allowed by expansion of VSAT into the Ku and Ka bands could be reached in the not too distant future. Some industry observers believe that within less than a decade, satellite usage will have increased by a factor of five even without new uses for data transmission becoming available. SATELLITE ANTENNAE
Besides, the highly compact cylindrical Iridium antenna, the smallest and least powerful satellite antenna for use on board vessels is the usually conical shaped antenna of the Inmarsat C system. Both are omnidirectional and therefore require no moving parts inside the protective cover. The low power of the Inmarsat C antenna is one of the reasons why the system has to operate on a store and forward basis. 48 | AUGUST 2014
WITH MOST L-BAND SYSTEMS, THE COST OF THE SYSTEM AND ANTENNAE WILL FALL TO THE SHIP OPERATOR AND THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE OWNED OUTRIGHT.
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The next step up to Inmarsat Fleet requires a dish antenna that can move on its horizontal and vertical axes to stay aligned with the satellite. Inmarsat Fleet has three sizes of antenna with diameters of 33cm, 55cm and 77cm the particular size corresponding to the system installed. These antennae like all other marine versions are protected by a radome that can either be dome shaped or spherical. VSAT antennae are more sophisticated still and also much larger than the Inmarsat Fleet versions. They are 3-axis stabilised systems and the dish which can be 3m or more in diameters (although the trend is to smaller 1m size dishes) can move rapidly in any direction to maintain connectivity with the satellite. Most antennae are designed for use with a single band only but as ships are beginning to subscribe to more than one service and more antennae are needed, some manufacturers are looking to combine bands in a single hybrid antenna, as far as hybrid antennas are
concerned, there are several major manufacturers which have developed and will soon be marketing antennas that are capable of instantly switching between ku-band and ka-band networks. COST MANAGEMENT
As ship operators began to get a taste for more communication options, some ships were fitted with a variety of different systems. There might be the standard GMDSS set up, an Iridium phone or data terminal and even possible a broadband or VSAT system as well. Spurred by fierce competition in the sector, service providers had, in the 2000s, begun to offer a number of different tariffs and special offers to attract extra traffic. These included ‘super quiet time’ reduced rates for ships sending data during periods of the day when traffic was normally low (this would of course vary by region as it was time based) and special days around public holidays when crew calling costs were discounted. As the rates varied between different networks, determining the least expensive options became rather complicated for the ships with multiple options. At the same time, a number of third party specialists had begun developing devices that could compress 50 | AUGUST 2014
ANOTHER USE THAT IS GROWING IS THE MONITORING OF ENGINES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ON BOARD.
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data transmissions beyond what was possible using the equipment provided by service providers. The way was clearly open for innovative companies to develop systems for controlling and managing the situation and these came to be known as ‘middleware’. The equipment sits between the ship’s LAN and the various communication systems with a second identical device located in the shore office. At scheduled times or whenever a user wishes to transfer data, the devices create a link between the vessel network and the network in the shipowner’s office. The link and the transfer are optimised by compressing the data and choosing the best carrier available. The choice made is based on user-programmed information on cost structures of the different services and calculations made by the middleware on the time or data size needed for transmission. Such systems determine the most cost-effective method of transmitting data and can switch between communication systems as appropriate once initial data has been input. Within a very short time, the service providers themselves began offering similar devices having either developed their own product or by way of acquiring one of the third party manufacturers as for example KVH chose to do when it acquired the Norwegian company Virtek which was having some sales successes with its CommBox system. KVH TracVision antennas
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| CHAPTER 7: CREW & PASSENGER SERVICES XXXXXXX ďƒ¨
An essential tool for the crew
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VER THE YEARS SINCE GMDSS was introduced communication use on ships has undergone a revolution. The surge in satellite communication equipment sales that resulted was enough to convince service providers that there was a rich vein to be tapped with growth coming from outside the traditional traffic that passes between ship and shore. The one that has attracted the most attention is crew calling. It has been promoted as both an essential element of crew welfare and a means of retaining staff in a time of shortage of skilled seafarers. Access for crew to communications is by no means universal; take up has been high in some sectors especially in the offshore and among higher quality operators. Probably more than half of the vessels sailing have no provision whatsoever and the lowestquality operators may feel they have good reason not to provide crews with a means to report poor conditions onboard. Crew calling on the ships that have adopted it usually involves the operator providing a telephone or a computer terminal for email connectivity that crew can use during non-working periods. Some operators may provide a free-of-charge service, but more commonly crew members are charged for their calls, either through a prepaid card or by deduction from wages. On smaller vessels and those with little more communications 52 | AUGUST 2014
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equipment than is mandatory providing crew calling can create difficulty. With perhaps only one telephone on board for crew calling, disputes may arise over usage, while seafarers whose families lack a home telephone or computer will have no need of the service. Where access to communications is limited ratings generally fare worse than officers. A survey carried out in 2012 suggested that free access to communications is granted to seafarers on only one in five ships and it is mostly restricted to text-only emails. Some interesting facts emerged from the survey. Apparently seafarers over 35 years of age prefer voice communications while younger generations made greater use of social media. On average, the seafarers surveyed were spending about $140 per month on communications – equal to about 40% of their wages and high by any standards. Not all of the money was paid out for onboard access to communications. Most seafarers today have their own cell phones or tablet devices that can be used to access public networks in ports and coastal waters and it was here that the most money was spent. There is a possibility that more crew will be given access to communications as the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 filter through the industry. Although there is no specific mention of provision in the mandatory part of the convention text, there is reference in the guidelines. Guideline B3.1.11 Section 4 (j) lists facilities that should be given at no cost to the seafarer where practicable. Item J covers ‘reasonable access to ship-to-shore telephone communications, and email and internet facilities, where available, with any charges for the use of these services being reasonable in amount’. Exactly how this guideline will be interpreted and put in to operation by flag states and operators remains to be seen but it does at least open up the door to wider access for seafarers in future. Communication service providers have been rolling out new products to take advantage of increased access by crews. These
THE ONE THAT HAS ATTRACTED THE MOST ATTENTION IS CREW CALLING. AUGUST 2014 | 53
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new services have one thing in common – doing away with the dedicated terminal in favour of letting crew use their own GSM phones or as it is sometimes described – ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD). Depending on the ship type there are at least two ways of achieving this. One is an extension of the systems now commonly found on passenger ships equipped with VSAT where the ship is assigned its own unique roaming identification and passengers and crew can use their own personal mobile phones, with the cost charged to their normal billing system. A variation on this allows the crew members to use their own phones but with a different pre-paid SIM card fitted. With the different cards crew can take advantage of special rates calls between similarly equipped phones even when the users may be on a different vessel. Another is by means of picocells connected to the ship’s communication system. A picocell is a small base station installed in accommodation areas of the ship that extends mobile coverage. Connected to a remote gateway, it will convert a mobile call into a narrowband IP signal for transmission over the satellite network used by the vessel. The picocells allow mobile phones fitted with appropriate pre-paid SIM cards to access the communications be they VSAT or L-Band. If a VSAT connection is available, it would be possible to assign roaming rights that allow crew to use their own phones. Wherever pre-paid SIMs are used, a crew member will need to use a mobile phone that has been unlocked. When in port and away from the ship, the user can still use the phone once the pre-paid SIM has been replaced with one supplied by a local or international service provider – although the number will obviously be different. For ship operators to allow crewmembers access to communications and to recover the cost either by selling them pre-paid cards or deductions from wages is one thing and leaves them in a break even situation. More benefits are to be had from fast connections on passenger vessels such as cruise ships and ferries. Here an extra revenue stream can be tapped by allowing passengers to use their own mobile telephones onboard. 54 | AUGUST 2014
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