BSM Maritime Training Centres

This course has been prepared by BSM for training,

instruction and briefing of ships crew and office staff and is
approved as part of its quality system
Course Title 3rd Officer to 2nd Officer Course
Date / Rev. Aug 2017
Prepared By MTC
Reviewed By JP
Approved By JP / MTC
No. of Slides 67
The role of digital communication technology in
e-Navigation – the need for new infrastructure
Existing communication systems
Basic overview of current requirements
Emerging requirements from e-Navigation and e-Maritime
Summary and conclusions
Four main communication "channel types"
Inmarsat/VSAT GNSS/SARSAT etc.

AIS/VHF (HF,MF)

Land commercial

• Dedicated (narrow band) shore/ship and ship/ship data links (AIS, DSC, VHF, HF, MF …)
• Dedicated (narrow band) satellite (GNSS, EPIRB, LRIT, SSAS, SafetyNET , AISSat …)
• Commercial shore to ship (GSM, WiMax, WiFi …)
• Commercial satellite services (Inmarsat, Iridium, VSAT …)
− M2M message based (also Orbcomm)
− Internet type data link
 Existing shore based systems
 Cell phone systems
 Work well in ports
 Less good along coast (# subscribers)
 Problem with roaming-agreements

 WiFi
 Deployed in some ports
 Simple access and low cost equipment
 Limited range
 Operates in non licensed band

 CDMA 450
 Deployed in Norway and some other countries
 Long range, good bandwidth
 Licensed frequencies
 Large cells

4
WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access

”Last mile”
system at
 10 – 20 km range west coast
of Norway
 256k to 5 Mbps orkidenett.com

 Standard end user

equipment (Intel)
 May use specialized
base stations Commercial service
in Singapore:
 2.3 to 5 GHz WISEPORT

www.qmax.com.sg

5
AIS or DSC ?
• AIS has an effective bandwidth of about 6 kbps / 25 kHz channel
• DSC supports 1.2 kbps on VHF

• AIS and DSC have dedicated purposes and should not be used for
other purposes without proper consideration to potential problems.

• However, both could be used given that additional frequencies are

assigned.
Digital VHF
• Existing VHF Channels
• Up to 70 km range
• 9 Channels
• 22 kbps/channel (4 * AIS)
• High reliability
• Message type

 Very interesting for e-Navigation

 Same properties as VHF, AIS and
other GMDSS components
 Can use same land infrastructure
 Low cost system and equipment

Telenor Maritim Radio

7
Different modulation schemes proposed
• ITU Recommendation M.1842
• 22 kbps / 25 kHz Channel (0.84 bit/Hz)
• Use one single VHF channel per digital channel
• Operate on low Signal / Noise : Long range and high reliability

• Document 5B/19, ITU Working Party 5B

• 153 kbps / 50 kHz Channel (3.1 bit/Hz)
• Require two adjacent VHF channels
• Require much better S/N: Probably shorter range and lower reliability

• New developments look at e-Navigation applications (VDE)

• Six channels proposed (25, 85, 26, and 86, 24 and 82 for operations)
• Merged channels for higher bandwidth
• Split channels for more diversity

8
VDE can also be used in ship – ship
coordination
 Port approach
 Emergencies
 etc …

© BW Gas
© Kystverket

9
New MF-NAVDAT service proposal
• ITU-R M.2010
• 495 to 505 kHz (MF)
• Expected effective bit rate 12-18 kbps

• Additional to NAVTEX
• Same time slot scheme?
• NAVTEX has 100 bps at 518 kHz
Satellite systems:
GEO: Geostationary Earth Orbit POR 178o E

• Benefits (Inmarsat and other VSAT)

• Close to global coverage
• Satellite is stationary relative to earth
35 786 km

 Drawbacks IOR 64o E

AOR-W 54o W
 Weak signal
AOR-E 15o30' W
 Latency
 Shadows
 Polar regions
 Fjords
 Ship movement
 Rain fading (Ku)
© NTNU/Odd Gutteberg www.marcom.no

11
Satellite systems
LEO: Low Earth Orbit www.iridium.com

• Iridium
• Orbit hight 780 km, 66 satellites
• Also some other less relevant systems
• Globalstar (1400 km / 48 satellites)
• Orbcomm (775 km / 29 satellites)
 Benefits
 Signal strength
 Low latency
 Global coverage

 Drawbacks
 Complexity
 Commercial viability ?
 Doppler shift effects
 Relatively low bandwidth www.marcom.no

12
 Communication technology in Arctic
 High Elliptic Orbit (Molnyia)
 Low Earth Orbit (Iridium)
 Various other concepts

© NTNU/Odd Gutteberg
 The role of digital communication technology in
e-Navigation – the need for new infrastructure
• Existing communication systems

• Basic overview of current requirements

• Emerging requirements from e-Navigation and e-Maritime

• Summary and conclusions

Main classes of "mandatory" ship communication
• Low bandwidth data exchanges: GNSS, EPIRB, DGPS, EGNOS, Basic position and
DSC, SSAS, LRIT ...
safety services

• Ship movement, AtoN via AIS, VTS advice … Navigational

advice

• Other safety or security related information via AIS, NAVTEX,

SafetyNet , ice warnings … Maritime
information

• Ship reporting, port reports, waste reports … Mandatory ship

reporting

• Updates to critical documents and data on board, e.g., notice

to mariners, ECS, certificates ... Documentation
updates
Main classes of "commercial" ship communication
• Operational reporting, e.g., voyage Operational
reports, port reports ... reporting

• Technical and operational support, Operational

technical systems diagnostics, technical support
monitoring, KPI transfers, remote
interventions ...
Crew
• Crew infotainment, CBT, e-mails, Internet infotainment
access ...
Payload data
• Data transfers related to payload, e.g., exchange
cargo (container monitoring), passengers
(Internet access) or special missions
(hydrographic, seismic) …
Today's mandatory communication patterns
• Narrow band mandatory information
• Requirements are more or less driving technology, i.e., they
match
• Some spare capacity in AIS, but basic capacity is only about 6
kbps/channel with binary messages

• Mandatory ship reporting

• Can be done over 9.6 kbps Inmarsat C system or voice

• Document update
• Over satellite or in port – need fairly high bandwidth
Today's commercial communication patterns
• Other reporting requirements
• Important for efficient operation. More and more ships are on
line, but one may manage without: Coastal (GSM) or satellite –
need fairly high bandwidth

• Operational support
• Increasing, but not common – used if satellite capacity allows

• Crew infotainment
• An important force in deployment in VSAT – use all available
resources
The role of digital communication technology in
e-Navigation – the need for new infrastructure
• Existing communication systems

• Basic overview of current requirements

• Emerging requirements from e-Navigation and e-Maritime

• Summary and conclusions

e-Navigation and e-Maritime
 e-Navigation
 Focus on nautical aspects (IMO domain)
 International

e-Navigation
 E-Navigation prioritized applications
• Solution 1: Improved, harmonized and user-friendly bridge design
• Solution 2: Means for standardized and automated reporting
• Solution 3: Improved reliability, resilience and integrity of bridge equipment and
navigation information
• Solution 4: Integration and presentation of available information in graphical displays
received via communication equipment.
• Solution 9: Improved Communication of VTS Service Portfolio.
 E-Navigation prioritized applications
• Solution 1: Improved, harmonized and user-friendly bridge design
• Solution 2: Means for standardized and automated reporting
• Solution 3: Improved reliability, resilience and integrity of bridge equipment and
navigation information
• Solution 4: Integration and presentation of available information in graphical displays
received via communication equipment.
• Solution 9: Improved Communication of VTS Service Portfolio.
Estimated demands for automated reporting

• Normalized bandwidth of 100 000 kbps

• 10/100/250 ships in open sea/coastal/port approach
• Mean utilization of channel
• All messages are unicast
Rødseth Ø.J., Kvamstad B. Digital Communication Bandwidth
requirements for Future e-Navigation Services, European Journal
of Navigation, Vol. 7, No. 1, April 2009.
www.mits-forum.org
Estimated demands for other possible e-Navigation
communication

• Normalized bandwidth of 100 000 kbps

• 10/100/250 ships in open sea/coastal/port approach
• Mean utilization of channel
• All messages except yellow are unicast, these are broadcast
Rødseth Ø.J., Kvamstad B. Digital Communication Bandwidth
requirements for Future e-Navigation Services, European Journal
of Navigation, Vol. 7, No. 1, April 2009.
www.mits-forum.org
 Satellite or coastal infrastructure ?
• A2B: Authority to Business
• Requirements will have to satisfy minimum requirements
• Services should be "free"

• Satellite may be shaded in ports or fjords and in the high north.

• VDE (VHF Data Link) may be made as low cost equipment, e.g., integrated with
AIS or VHF radio.

• Port state authorities may want to have control over infrastructure and
frequencies may have to be standardized.
VDE + NAVDAT is most likely?
 e-Navigation and e-Maritime

 e-Navigation
 Focus on nautical aspects (IMO domain)
 International

e-Navigation

e-Maritime
 e-Maritime
 Wider scope: Maritime transport
 European
Unmanned or shore supported ships ?

• Estimated from 75 kbps to 4 Mbps dependent on mode

• May operate without link for some time, will "fail to safe"
• Investigated in EU-project MUNIN: www.unmanned-ship.org
 Satellite or coastal infrastructure ?
• B2B: Business to Business
• Requirements driven by commercial operations
• Services need not be "free"

• Not mission critical and may tolerate drop outs in some areas

• Will be part of systems to also cover crew infotainment and other high capacity
demands.

• No need for port state authorities to have control over infrastructure or to

allocate specific frequencies.
Satellite is most likely!
 The role of digital communication technology in
e-Navigation – the need for new infrastructure
• Existing communication systems

• Basic overview of current requirements

• Emerging requirements from e-Navigation and e-Maritime

• Summary and conclusions

 Summary and conclusions
• e-Navigation will require some dedicated and additional bandwidth. This will mostly be near to shore or
in port approaches.

• AIS will generally not have capacity, has its own dedicated purpose and is not very bandwidth efficient.

• VDE seems to be most promising alternative, given that IMO and ITU agrees. Reuse of some VHF voice
frequencies will give sufficient additional bandwidth.

• MF/NAVDAT can be a supplement at longer distances.

• E-Maritime will most likely rely on satellite or high speed terrestrial systems.
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS) in the South African Context.
Ashwin Budhal
Network Centre Operations - Maritime
Telkom SA Limited
November 2006
 Beginning of GMDSS
For hundreds of years many ships of different types sailed the seas and their safety
depended upon their own skills. Signaling methods were by flag and letters passed from
ship to ship.

Distress Alerting was by firing a gun, or pyrotechnics, and

only succeeded when other ships were in sight or when
close to inhabited land.
 Early Evolution of Maritime Radio
• 1895 - The invention of Radio (Spark Transmitters and Morse)

• 1899 - The first incident of Radio being used to report a Distress at Sea !! A Lightship
equipped by Marconi reported the grounding of the steamer ELBE.

• 1910 - The first SA station on the BLUFF in Durban with a 3 kW Spark transmitter for ship/shore
communications.

• 1912 - The TITANIC disaster and the saving of 700 lives due to the watch-keeping of the
CARPATHIA.

• 1914 - The first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) adopted.
 Further developments
• 1929 - Second SOLAS convention with stricter watch-keeping requirements and the advent of
the first fully Automatic Alarm system.

• The 1974 SOLAS agreement dealt in detail with Distress and Safety and the first suggestions
of using Satellite communications were evolved.

• The 1974 SOLAS Agreement was amended in 1981 and 1984 and finally in 1992 to provide for
the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
 GMDSS Plan
• GMDSS emphasis the ability to alert search and rescue authorities ashore as well as shipping in
the area to achieve a rapid response.

• Shore bases authorities now have the primary role of coordinating assistance following a
distress alert.

• Worldwide communication coverage of the GMDSS is achieved by a combination of Satellite

and terrestrial radio systems.

• Ships equipment is determined by the Ocean Area in which it sails and not by size, type,
number of passengers etc.
 Sea Area A1 Sea Area A2
Within VHF Range of at Within MF (2MHz)
least one VHF DSC Coast Range of at least one MF
Station (approx. 30 DSC Coast Station
- 50 Nautical Miles) (approx. 150 Miles)

Sea Area A3 Sea Area A4

Within the Inmarsat area of Outside Areas A1, 2 and 3.
coverage and outside Area Comprises mainly high
A1 and 2 latitude Polar Areas
 GMDSS features
• Radio watch-keeping is automatic
• Subsequent distress and safety communications are carried out on radiotelephone or radio-telex.
• GMDSS consists of a number of sub systems:
– Digital Selective calling system – radio based
– Satellite communications systems
– Maritime Safety information systems (Navtex and Safetynet)
– The Emergency Position indication radio beacon system (EPIRB)
– The Search and Rescue Transponder (SART) system
 GMDSS Functional requirements
• Transmission of ship to shore distress alerts by at least two independent means
• Reception of shore to ship distress alerts
• Transmission and reception of:
– ship to ship distress alerts
– search and rescue communications
– on-scene communications
– signals used for location
– Maritime safety information
– general radio-communications to and from the shore
– bridge to bridge communications
 Communications system used in GMDSS
• Terrestrial Radio
– Long Range – HF Radio
– Medium Range – MF Radio
– Short Range – VHF radio
– Navtex

• Satellite Communications
– INMARSAT A, B, and C
– Safety-NET
– COSPAS SARSAT
 What is DSC?
• Digital automatic alerting system that listens for ships in distress on the VHF, MF and HF
frequency band and presents the information (position, I.D. of ship and type of distress) to the
operator at CRS or RCC.
• DSC Area A1 VHF channel 70 for 30 – 50 miles range
• DSC Area A2 MF 2187.5 KHz for 150 – 250 mile range
• DSC Area A3 HF on the 4, 6, 8, 12 and 16 MHz bands for long range worldwide coverage
 What is SafetyNET
The daily transmission of Maritime
Safety Information to ships using
Inmarsat C equipment in the various
ocean regions. All ships in the
designated areas with the
appropriate satellite equipment will
receive this information.
 What is Navtex?
The daily transmission of Weather
forecasts, Navigation warnings and
Safety information, also known as
Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to
ships on mainly 518Khz using the
English language.
 What is a SART?
A search and rescue transponder is
the means in GMDSS to locate ships
in distress or their survival craft
using X band (9 GHz) radar on scene
 Distress alerting through INMARSAT
The Inmarsat system provides priority access to satellite channels in
emergency situations and provides an alert to the LES personnel.
 What is COSPAS SARSAT?
• International organization started by USA, France, Canada and USSR and provides, free-of-
charge, distress alert and location information to search and rescue authorities anywhere in the
world for maritime, aviation and land users in distress.
• Persons rescued world-wide since 1982
• >18800
• Search and Rescue events since 1982
• > 5300
• The system consists of a space segment (satellites), ground segment ( Local User terminal or
LUT/Mission control centre or MCC) and alerting devices or beacons (EPIRB, ELT, PLB)
 Beacons
• Manual or Automatic Activation

• 121.5 MHz Analog signal

Approximately 600,000 world-wide and declining
• 406 MHz Digital signal
Approximately 400,000 world-wide and growing.
• Applications:
• Maritime - Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
• Aviation - Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
• Personal/Land - Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)

Statistics end 2004

 Satellites
Two types of satellites:
•Low-earth orbiting (LEO)/polar orbiting (LEOSAR);
•Geosynchronous earth orbiting (GEO or GEOSAR)
Coverage area
COSPAS SARSAT responsibility area
Beacon types
Cospas Sarsat in SA
Typical distress scenario - 1
Typical distress scenario - 2
Typical distress scenario - 3
 The South African Context!
Telkom SA Ltd is the service provider for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) /
GMDSS services to the SA Department of Transport
 Introduction continued
• Cape Town, Milnerton - main controlling station and standby HF receiver site
• Thirty six MF and VHF remote sites along the coast
• Klipheuwel, 40 km inland for Milnerton - main High Frequency high power transmitting station.
• Yzerfontein on Cape west coast - remote main HF receiving site
• The controlling station is manned 24 hr, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• South Africa’s Search and Rescue communications capability is a combination of GMDSS and
“SOLAS type” services.
 Introduction continued
• The Republic of South Africa is a party to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea (SOLAS) and its enhancements (GMDSS etc))
• The Department of Transport is the responsible authority for implementing these
conventions
• Telkom SA Ltd, Maritime Services, as the contracted service provider, provides the equipment,
maintenance, services, facilities and radio communication and other infrastructure necessary
for these purposes.
 Coast Radio Station facilities in SA - GMDSS
• SafetyNET Inmarsat “C” MSI service via Goonhilly in the UK or Burum in the Netherlands – also
used for transmission of urgency and distress messages
• COSPAS SARSAT satellite alerting system - LUT and MCC in CT
• DSC (Area A3) – from CT on 4, 6, 8,12 and 16 MHz
• Navtex for MSI from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban – also used for transmission of
urgency and distress messages
 Coast Radio Station facilities in SA – “SOLAS”
• VHF Radiotelephony CH 16 watch keeping
• MF Radiotelephony 2182 KHz watch keeping
• HF watch keeping on Ch 421, 821, 1221, 1621 and 2221
• Transmission of MSI on VHF and HF radiotelephony
• SAFREP – voluntary vessel reporting system
• Receipt of Pre-arrival reports (PAR’s)
• Will also accept AMVER’s – passed to USCG
Remote sites along the coast
South Africa’s search and rescue area
Nav / Met areas of the world
 Nav / Met area 7
• SA’s responsibility. Transmitted
using SafetyNET mechanism on
Inmarsat C. Coastal areas on
Navtex.
•Also on VHF and HF Radiotelephony
on 4,
• 8 and 13 MHz
 DSC area
• South Africa has declared area
A3
• i.e. HF DSC on 4, 6, 8, 12 and 16
MHz
• Dual redundant
• system in Cape Town
Feedback – training@bs-Shipmanagement.com