Importance of Technological

Advancement and Communication in

Marine Transportation
COMMUNICATION

Good communications on board the ship also serve another important role; that of keeping the
crew in touch with often distant friends and family. Internet connectively, part and parcel of
channels of communication today, also allows access to email, weather and chart updates,
position reporting, telemedicine and remote diagnostics, among other things. Seafarers also need
to be able to communicate with other ships to receive and send urgent maritime safety
information, and to send or receive distress alerts in an emergency to or from rescue coordination
centres ashore and from nearby ships, wherever they are in the world.

With ship traffic increasing around the world, it has become ever more important to improve
safety and security and to safeguard our environment. When critical decisions have to be made
quickly to protect or enhance any of these factors, good communication between all involved in
the maritime chain is essential. The telecommunications structure for those at sea is far removed
from the networks we can tap into on land. Instead, advanced communication systems enable
ship-land, land-land and ship-ship contact, using satellite, and land-based radio and telephone
infrastructure. The state-of-the-art voice and data communications technology available today
mean that ship owners, operators and crew can stay in touch, wherever they are.
What Marine Communication Systems Are Used in the Maritime Industry?

Radio telecommunication at sea had undergone a sea change in the last century. After the days of
semaphores and flags (which is still relevant today in some cases), radio brought about a drastic
change in marine communication at sea.

From the early years of the last century, ships started fitting radio for communicating distress
signals among themselves and with the shore. Radio telegraphy using Morse code was used in
the early part of the twentieth century for marine communication.

In the seventies, after considering the studies of the International Telecommunication Union,
IMO brought about a system where ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore communication was put into
action with some degree of automation, wherein a skilled radio officer keeping 24×7 watch was
not required.

Marine communication between ships or with the shore was carried with the help of on board
systems through shore stations and even satellites. While ship-to-ship communication was
brought about by VHF radio, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) came up with digitally remote
control commands to transmit or receive distress alert, urgent or safety calls, or routine priority
messages. DSC controllers can now be integrated with the VHF radio as per SOLAS (Safety Of
Life at Sea) convention.

Satellite services, as opposed to terrestrial communication systems, need the help of geo-
stationary satellites for transmitting and receiving signals, where the range of shore stations
cannot reach. These marine communication services are provided by INMARSAT (a commercial
company) and COSPAS – SARSAT (a multi-national government funded agency).

While INMARSAT gives the scope of two way communications, the Corpas Sarsat has a system
that is limited to reception of signals from emergency position and places with no facilities of
two way marine communications, indicating radio beacons (EPIRB).
For international operational requirements, the Global Maritime Distress Safety System
(GMDSS) has divided the world in four sub areas. These are four geographical divisions named
as A1, A2, A3 and A4.

Different radio communication systems are required by the vessel to be carried on board ships,
depending on the area of operation of that particular vessel.

A1 – It’s about 20- 30 nautical miles from the coast, which is under coverage of at least one VHF
coast radio station in which continuous DSC alerting is available. Equipment used: A VHF, a
DSC and a NAVTEX receiver (a navigational telex for receiving maritime
and meteorological information).

A2 – This area notionally should cover 400 nautical miles off shore but in practice it extends up
to 100 nautical miles off shore but this should exclude A1 areas. Equipment used: A DSC, and
radio telephone (MF radio range) plus the equipment required for A1 areas

A3 – This is the area excluding the A1 & A2 areas. But the coverage is within 70 degrees north
and 70 degree south latitude and is within INMARSAT geostationary satellite range, where
continuous alerting is available. Equipment used: A high frequency radio and/ or INMARSAT,
a system of receiving MSI (Maritime Safety Information) plus the other remaining systems for
A1 and A2 areas.

A4 – These are the areas outside sea areas of A1, A2 and A3. These are essentially the Polar
Regions North and South of 70 degree of latitude. Equipment used: HF radio service plus those
required for other areas.

All oceans are covered by HF marine communication services for which the IMO requires to
have two coast stations per ocean region. Today almost all ships are fitted with satellite terminal
for Ship Security Alerts System (SSAS) and for long range identification and tracking as per
SOLAS requirements.
On distress, Search and Rescue operations from Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centers are
carried out among other methods, with the help of most of these marine navigation tools.
Naturally, the sea has become a lot safer with these gadgets and other important navigation
tools recommended by the IMO and as enshrined in GMDSS.

Importance of Technological Advancement

Understanding the importance of the maritime industry in everyday life isn’t easy for people
away from coastal areas. However, one only has to look around his room.
Many products — gadgets, appliances, and factory machines — from all around the world are
transported through massive cargo ships. Fishing vessels traverse international waters to supply
markets with seafood. Marine engineers continuously devise new ways to generate hydropower
better.

For an industry that highly values capacity and efficiency, information technology is a blessing.
Construction and design of ships now involve composite materials and complex digital systems.

Communication in Open Waters

Maritime workers need a way to quickly communicate not only with each other on the vessel but
with those on other ships and with people on land. Local networks and internet access are
essential to managing work.

Information technology ensures systems won’t have severe connectivity issues. A virtual private
network (VPN) keeps sensitive maritime information away from cyber attacks. System
administrators can easily detect unusual user behavior. As long as the industry knows the pros
and cons of using a VPN, it can take full advantage of this technology.

Improved Safety

Perhaps one of the most disastrous things that can occur in the maritime industry is when ships
accidentally hit and sink one another. Better communication systems can prevent this.

On a related note, information systems will aid the maritime industry against pirates and
hijackers. Ships can use these to immediately plan out routes that can prevent the triumphant
entry of unwanted individuals.
Faster Cargo Processing

Global trade has intensified the need for bigger and better cargo ships. Apart from an
increased carrying capacity, the cargo trade can also benefit from a more efficient
processing system.

Information technology allows cargo ships to deliver their goods faster. The weight of all the
cargo is precisely determined using monitoring systems. Ships can send cargo-related
information to each other to prevent any delays in container ports.

Advanced Navigation

Ships no longer need to rely on paper maps and an old compass. Marine navigation in the
information age involves satellite communication, radar, radio, GPS, and digital maps. The
variety of technologies allows ships to find the safest and fastest route even during undesirable
weather conditions.

The maritime industry has greatly benefited from information technology — and it will continue
to do so as long as global trade and the demand for seafood, energy, and better water transport
exist.

Technology that is shaping the shipping industry

 The growth of sensor technology

Sensor technology is one of the most advanced and well-developed technologies today. With the
introduction of sensors, there is no need for checking equipment on the ships manually.
Connecting all the machinery to sensors through wireless connectivity enables the crew on the
ship to keep accurate tabs on the working condition of machines, the maintenance required at
regular intervals, and their complete operability on ships.
In addition, if the sensors are combined with machine learning and artificial intelligence, they
can access remote locations and analyze the data, immediately sending out alerts if any of the
ship’s parts need maintenance.

Robotic automation

The use of robots in every sector has become quite common in the past few years. In the
shipping industry, robots are gradually being used to aid all the tasks. Activities like packing,
delivering, inspection, firefighting, etc. can be carried out by robots effortlessly.

Since robots work more effectively and without any breaks, the shipping industry is anticipated
to come to rely heavily on the use of robots for every function. These robots will also be able to
locate and navigate ships and can be used to eliminate a threat in case of an attack. The size of
these robots is also being worked upon. Robots the size of heavy machinery can take up a lot of
space and prove to be a hurdle. New types of robots, called ‘mini-robots’, are being paired with
the sensors to identify and record all the data in the ship and work on it.
 Autonomous ships

Autonomous systems in shipping are gaining immense popularity on account of their capability
to deliver goods without any interference. These systems operate at peak efficiency for a
significantly longer duration that is needed in the shipping industry.

Leading technology companies have invested in the research and development of these
autonomous systems. Surface, underwater, and air-based vehicles are being used to monitor
activity, tap desirable locations for oil and natural gas, and other such activities.
These autonomous systems are equipped with the latest, advanced heat mapping and material
detection technology, which eliminates the human effort involved.

For instance, a Transportation Management System (TMS) is a system designed to manage the
supply of goods efficiently. It enables the company to keep a proper track record of their
shipments and whether or not they are being delivered to the correct destination.

IOT (internet of things)

IoT primarily consists of a GPS and a cloud-based database which stores all the data collected by
devices on the ship. IoT also connects the sensors, robots and other devices through a wireless
network. The advantage of using IoT is that, since it keeps track of all devices and shipments, the
shipping industry will be able to provide better customer service. It can provide customers with
information about the location, time of arrival and delay in the shipment. IoT is, hence, a highly
anticipated technological solution to management problems on the ship.
 Conclusion

In the end I would like to conclude myself by telling that communication and technology both
are very much important for the growth of marine transportation. And in the coming years the
growth of these two factors will grow a lot and eventually our countries import and export will
eventually increase which will also help the economic growth to increase too.