Maritime Communications

SAFETY PART 2

Caption togo here

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.

MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS

GMDSSSafety first is at the

heart of marine communications

REGULATIONMeeting the rules of

the IMO and ITU

SATELLITE SYSTEMSA look at the options

now available

COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE

What is needed on board

• A guide to regulation and technology •

ShipInsight• CRITICAL INFORMATION ON MARITIME TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATION •

AU

G 2

014

SPONSORED BY

A WORLD CLASS

JOURNEY

1814 - 2014

kongsberg.com

IT TAKES CENTURIES TO BETHIS GOOD

KONGSBERG celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2014. Today, our

navigation solutions are the culmination of these 200 years ofpioneering spirit, with K-Bridge

technology playing a vital role on ships and offshore vessels the world

over. Its simple, user-friendlyinterface is the gateway to

advanced and fully approved systems that ensure navigation safety,efficiency and reliability in all

conditions. K-Bridge gives you fullcontrol. Kongsberg Maritime gives you

THE FULL PICTURE.

http://www.kongsberg.com

AUGUST 2014 | 3

Caption togo here


Malcolm Latarche

SHIPS 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

| INTRODUCTION

A WORLD CLASS

JOURNEY

1814 - 2014

kongsberg.com

IT TAKES CENTURIES TO BETHIS GOOD

KONGSBERG celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2014. Today, our

navigation solutions are the culmination of these 200 years ofpioneering spirit, with K-Bridge

technology playing a vital role on ships and offshore vessels the world

over. Its simple, user-friendlyinterface is the gateway to

advanced and fully approved systems that ensure navigation safety,efficiency and reliability in all

conditions. K-Bridge gives you fullcontrol. Kongsberg Maritime gives you

THE FULL PICTURE.

http://www.kongsberg.com

MARINE COMMUNICATIONS

Caption togo here


XXXXXXXEditor: Malcolm Latarche

[email protected]

Head of Design: Chris Caldwell

Layout & Production: Steven Price

Advertising Sales: [email protected]

Address: ShipInsight, 12 - 14 Bridge Street

Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8BZ, UK

www.shipinsight.com

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.

Register at shipinsight.com

to receive the next free guide.

ShipInsight

CONTENTS

06 | CHAPTER 1 – Regulation

Meeting the rules of the IMO and ITU

12 | CHAPTER 2 – GMDSS

Safety first is at the heart of marine communications

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

Keeping crew and customers in touch with the World

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

SAFERSMARTERSHIPPING_

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIESThe iFUSION platform brings a revolution in enhanced commercial maritime fleet technology management. The new industry standard, this open architecture vessel technology suite reduces operational overheads and enables bespoke IT integration.

MANAGED SERVICEWith 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.

OPTIMISED OPERATIONSInmarsat 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.

40X. Inmarsat_Ad_ShipInsight_W148xH210_SSSV40X.indd 1 18/07/2014 11:34

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

www.shipinsight.com

shipinsight.com

http://www.inmarsat.com

JUNE 2014 | 5

Caption togo here


MAY 2014 | 5 MAY 2014 | 5 MAY 2014 | 5

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

SAFERSMARTERSHIPPING_

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIESThe iFUSION platform brings a revolution in enhanced commercial maritime fleet technology management. The new industry standard, this open architecture vessel technology suite reduces operational overheads and enables bespoke IT integration.

MANAGED SERVICEWith 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.

OPTIMISED OPERATIONSInmarsat 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.

40X. Inmarsat_Ad_ShipInsight_W148xH210_SSSV40X.indd 1 18/07/2014 11:34

http://www.inmarsat.com


6 | AUGUST 2014

WE 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.

| CHAPTER 1: REGULATION

A World of globalcommunications

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 7

Caption togo here


THERE IS NO GIVEN RIGHT FOR SEAFARERS TO HAVE ACCESS TO COMMUNICATIONS.

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.

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.

shipinsight.com


8 | AUGUST 2014

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;

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 9

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

shipinsight.com


10 | AUGUST 2014

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;

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 11

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.

shipinsight.com

12 | AUGUST 2014


SAFETY 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

| CHAPTER 2: GMDSS

Iridium is pitchingfor GMDSS

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 13

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 IMO-

published 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

shipinsight.com


14 | AUGUST 2014

TODAY THERE ARE RIVAL SATELLITE SERVICE PROVIDERS BUT THESE COMPLEMENT RATHER THAN REPLACE THE NEED TO CARRY AN INMARSAT TERMINAL ON BOARD.

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

Hands-on control and monitoring of your fleet.

The IS-BLUETRACKER solution enables you to comply with the new IMO standards quite easily, and it also gives you access to various kinds of fleet operations data in real time. Critical situations can be identified immediately, and the data analysis functions are helpful when it comes to improving the efficiency of your ships and overall operations. You have full control over the safety and efficiency of your fleet, anytime and anyplace — data access is even possible using your smartphone. More information is available at http://www.interschalt.de

Innovation for shipping

RZ_IS_ANZ_Bluetr. 151x210mm.indd 1 12.02.14 13:32

http://www.interschalt.com/systems/monitoring-control/

JUNE 2014 | 15

Hands-on control and monitoring of your fleet.

The IS-BLUETRACKER solution enables you to comply with the new IMO standards quite easily, and it also gives you access to various kinds of fleet operations data in real time. Critical situations can be identified immediately, and the data analysis functions are helpful when it comes to improving the efficiency of your ships and overall operations. You have full control over the safety and efficiency of your fleet, anytime and anyplace — data access is even possible using your smartphone. More information is available at http://www.interschalt.de

Innovation for shipping

RZ_IS_ANZ_Bluetr. 151x210mm.indd 1 12.02.14 13:32

http://www.interschalt.com/systems/monitoring-control/


16 | AUGUST 2014

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.

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 17

GMDSS

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.

EQUIPMENT A1 A2 A3INMARSAT SOLUTION

A3HF

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

INMARSAT SHIP EARTH STATION WITH EGC RECEIVER X

MF/HF TELEPHONY WITH DSC AND NBDP X X

DSC WATCH RECEIVER MF/HF X X

DUPLICATED VHF WITH DSC W X X X

DUPLICATED INMARSAT SHIP TO EARTH STATION (SES) X X

DUPLICATED MF/HF TELEPHONY WITH DSC AND NBDP X

NAVTEX RECEIVER 518 KHZ X X X X X

EGC RECEIVER X1 X1 X X

FLOAT-FREE SATELLITE EPIRB X X X X X4

SART X2 X2 X2 X2 X2

HAND HELD GMDSS VHF TRANSCEIVERS X3 X3 X3 X3 X3

FOR PASSENGER SHIPS THE FOLLOWING APPLIES FROM 01.07.97

“DISTRESS PANEL” (SOLAS CHAPTER IV/6.4 AND 6.6) X X X X X

AUTOMATIC UPDATING OF POSITION TO ALL RELEVANT RADIO-COMMUNI-CATION 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

TABLE OF EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS (INCLUDING DUPLICATION OF EQUIPMENT)

shipinsight.com


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.

GMDSS

18 | AUGUST 2014

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.

TOR M. ØSTERVOLDCEO at ECOsubseaYoung Entrepreneur Award winner 2013

NOMINATE FOR THE2015 AWARDS

For more details of each award, full criteria and how to apply, visit

www.nor-shipping.com

Media Partner: Award Partner:Award Partner: Media Partner: Media Partner:Award Partner:

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARD

IMO - International Maritime Organization

NEXT GENERATION SHIP AWARD

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

http://www.nor-shipping.com

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

JUNE 2014 | 19

Caption togo here


XXXXX

TOR M. ØSTERVOLDCEO at ECOsubseaYoung Entrepreneur Award winner 2013

NOMINATE FOR THE2015 AWARDS

For more details of each award, full criteria and how to apply, visit

www.nor-shipping.com

Media Partner: Award Partner:Award Partner: Media Partner: Media Partner:Award Partner:

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARD

IMO - International Maritime Organization

NEXT GENERATION SHIP AWARD

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

shipinsight.com

http://www.nor-shipping.com


Caption togo here


XXXXXXX

speedcast.com

Your Global VSAT PartnerFor Maritime Satellite Communications

Visit us at: SMM HAMBURG9 - 12 September | Hall: B6 Booth: 404

Wherever You AreSpeedCast is a leading global maritime satellite communications service provider, with a strong leadership position in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. SpeedCast has a proven track record servicing all segments of the maritime industry, including Commercial, Oil & Gas, Offshore, Research, Government and Leisure.

Offering the widest selection of services in Ku-band, C-band, Ka-Band and L-band, we are able to expertly advise our customers on the best possible solutions for their specific needs. The high-level of redundancy in our network both in terms of satellite coverage and teleport infrastructure, provides our customers an unsurpassed level of service and reliability.

SpeedCast is your global VSAT partner, wherever you are.

Commercial Oil & Gas Offshore Research Government Leisure|||||

Europe Headquarters Asia-Pacific Headquarters www.speedcast.com/maritime

T: +31 10 71 30 400 T: +852 3919 6800 [email protected]

|

|

|

|

Visit SpeedCast on 9 - 12

September in the Hamburg

Messe und Congress GmbH,

Hamburg, Germany, Hall: B6

Booth: 404.

Contact us for more

information or to make an

appointment.

http://www.speedcast.com

speedcast.com

Your Global VSAT PartnerFor Maritime Satellite Communications

Visit us at: SMM HAMBURG9 - 12 September | Hall: B6 Booth: 404

Wherever You AreSpeedCast is a leading global maritime satellite communications service provider, with a strong leadership position in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. SpeedCast has a proven track record servicing all segments of the maritime industry, including Commercial, Oil & Gas, Offshore, Research, Government and Leisure.

Offering the widest selection of services in Ku-band, C-band, Ka-Band and L-band, we are able to expertly advise our customers on the best possible solutions for their specific needs. The high-level of redundancy in our network both in terms of satellite coverage and teleport infrastructure, provides our customers an unsurpassed level of service and reliability.

SpeedCast is your global VSAT partner, wherever you are.

Commercial Oil & Gas Offshore Research Government Leisure|||||

Europe Headquarters Asia-Pacific Headquarters www.speedcast.com/maritime

T: +31 10 71 30 400 T: +852 3919 6800 [email protected]

|

|

|

|

Visit SpeedCast on 9 - 12

September in the Hamburg

Messe und Congress GmbH,

Hamburg, Germany, Hall: B6

Booth: 404.

Contact us for more

information or to make an

appointment.

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 21

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.

http://www.speedcast.com

shipinsight.com


Caption togo here


AUGUST 2014 | 2322 | AUGUST 2014

| CHAPTER 3: SINGTEL

SingTel - Making lifeeasier for operators

SINGTEL 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

JULY 2014 | 23

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 2322 | AUGUST 2014

THE ANTENNA WON BOTH SEATRADE ASIA AWARD – TECHNICAL INNOVATION AWARD 2009 AND LLOYD’S LIST ASIA AWARD 2009 – INNOVATION AWARD FOR MARITIME BROADBAND.

Lim Kian SoonHead of Satellitte

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

shipinsight.com


Caption togo here


AUGUST 2014 | 2524 | AUGUST 2014

Secure-ECDIS combines ECDIS witha suite of SINGTEL Satcom services.

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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 2524 | AUGUST 2014

SINGTEL’S MOBILE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OFFERS BANDWIDTH UTILISATION SAVINGS BETWEEN 20X TO 400X WHEN COMPARED TO MOST CCTVS IN THE MARKET.

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 ADDED VALUE SERVICES MAKE LIFE EASIER

shipinsight.com


Caption togo here


SINGTEL’S ADDED VALUE SERVICES MAKE LIFE EASIER

AUGUST 2014 | 2726 | AUGUST 2014

The largest listed companyon the Singapore Exchange

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.

AUGUST 2014 | 2726 | AUGUST 2014

IM-NWE-Services2 hr.pdf 1 22/5/13 12:12

http://www.imtechmarine.com/services

XXXXXXX


28 | AUGUST 2014

XXXXXXX| CHAPTER 1: REGULATION

Caption togo here

| CHAPTER 4: OTHER SAFETY & SECURITY

MarineTraffic AIS network

NOT 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

AUGUST 2014 | 29

XXXXX

SHIPINSIGHT.COM


SOLAS OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE LOSS IN 1912 OF THE TITANIC.

AIS CONSISTS OF A TRANSPONDER SYSTEM IN WHICH SHIPS CONTINUALLY TRANSMIT THEIR ID, POSITION, COURSE, SPEED AND OTHER DATA OVER VHF.

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

shipinsight.com


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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

JUNE 2014 | 31

Caption togo here


XXXXX

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

JUNE 2014 | 31

Caption togo here


XXXXX

© 2014 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.“Customer Success Is Our Mission” is a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Raytheon-Anschuetz.comTel: +49 431 3019 0 [email protected]

.

A NEW

RADARTO LEAD THE WAY

With its fl exible network infrastructure and optimized

lifetime cost, the NAUTOSCAN NX radar transceiver stands out as

the latest in the long line of Raytheon Anschütz navigation technology

NAVIGATION RADAR

RZ_RAn_ShipInsight_Radar_A5.indd 1 22.07.14 14:35

shipinsight.com

shipinsight.com

http://www.raytheon-anschuetz.com

MARITIME COMMUNICATION

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

A graphical displayof AIS data

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 33

XXXXXOTHER SAFETY & SECURITY

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.

shipinsight.com


Caption togo here

34 | JUNE 2014

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR 7satellite, 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 effi cient 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.

www.telenorsat.com

Delivering high powered satellite capacity from 1̊ West

stay

connected

at sea

http://www.telenorsat.com

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 35

SUPPLIERS TABLE

COMPANY WEBSITE GMDSS EQUIPMENT

SATELLITE OPERATOR

SERVICE PROVIDER

VSAT OTHER

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 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 • • • •


Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR 7satellite, 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 effi cient 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.

www.telenorsat.com

Delivering high powered satellite capacity from 1̊ West

stay

connected

at sea

shipinsight.com

http://www.satcom-airbusds.com

http://www.alphatronmarine.com

www.cobham.com

www.comtechefdata.com

www.furuno.com

www.globalstar.com

www.globecommsystems.com

http://www.harriscaprock.com

www.imtechmarine.com

www.inmarsat.com

www.intelliantech.com

www.iridium.com

www.jrc.co.jp

http://www.kns-kr.com

www.kvh.com

www.mtllc.us

http://www.maritimebroadband.com

www.marlink.com

www.mcp.com

www.mtnsat.com

http://www.navarino.gr

www.nsslglobal.com

www.oceansat.com

http://www.otesat-maritel.com

www.polestarglobal.com

www.redportglobal.com

http://www.sam-electronics.de

www.ses.com

http://www.singtelofficeatsea.com/ads/fleetbroadband/100min.html?utm_source=shipinsight&utm_medium=fullpagead&utm_campaign=ShipInsight

www.smsglobal.net

www.speedcast.com

www.telenorsat.com

www.thuraya.com

http://www.telenorsat.com

XXXXXXX


36 | AUGUST 2014

| CHAPTER 5: SATELLITE SYSTEMS

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s largest teleport,Nittedal, located just outside of Oslo, Norway

THIS 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

AUGUST 2014 | 37

SHIPINSIGHT.COM


SOLAS OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE LOSS IN 1912 OF THE TITANIC.

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

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.

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-for-

profit 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

shipinsight.com

shipinsight.com


38 | AUGUST 2014

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 circuit-

switched 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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 39

SATELLITE SYSTEMS

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.

shipinsight.com


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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 41

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.

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

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)

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

shipinsight.com

shipinsight.com

beams.VSAT


SATELLITE SYSTEMS

InmarsatGlobalXpress

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.

42 | AUGUST 2014

http://www.redportglobal.com/save

XXXXXXX


44 | AUGUST 2014

XXXXXXX| CHAPTER 1: REGULATION

Caption togo here

| CHAPTER 6: COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE

The VHFRadio

LEAVING 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)

AUGUST 2014 | 45

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

Caption togo here


VHF OPERATES ON A RANGE OF FREQUENCIES WITH EACH FREQUENCY GIVEN A CHANNEL NUMBER.

| CHAPTER 6: COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE

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

shipinsight.com


• 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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 47

Caption togo here


XXXXXCOMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE

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.

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

shipinsight.com



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.

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.

48 | AUGUST 2014

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

JUNE 2014 | 49

Caption togo here


XXXXX

Connections made simple.Thanks to SeaAccess™ from Harris CapRock, it’s never been easier to connect all the right people in all the right places. Providing a range of communication solutions as wide as the world itself, Harris CapRock gives you the winning combination of global coverage for easy scalability and local resources for more responsive service. What’s more, you won’t find a broader portfolio of communication services anywhere. And if that weren’t enough, we offer you more customizable, flexible technologies and services than any other service provider in the world.

From an ultra-compact 60 cm C-band solution enabling phone and texting service, to a high-end passenger solution providing over 50 Mbps to a single vessel, SeaAccess has the most reliable and comprehensive solutions for maritime communications.

Leveraging more than a dozen self-owned and -operated international teleports, customer support centers and a worldwide support team of more than 275 certified field technicians, we put it all together to deliver global communications you can always count on.

It’s that simple.

harriscaprock.com

© 2014 Harris CapRock Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. RELIABILITY NEVER REACHED SO FAR™

HC Maritime connections ad 148x210mm.indd 1 7/23/2014 2:36:02 PM

shipinsight.com

http://www.harriscaprock.com


ANOTHER USE THAT IS GROWING IS THE MONITORING OF ENGINES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ON BOARD.

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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 51

KVH TracVisionantennas


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.

shipinsight.com


XXXXXXX| CHAPTER 7: CREW & PASSENGER SERVICES

An essential toolfor the crew

OVER 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 lowest-

quality 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

SHIPINSIGHT.COM

AUGUST 2014 | 53

THE ONE THAT HAS ATTRACTED THE MOST ATTENTION IS CREW CALLING.

XXXXXXXXXX

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

shipinsight.com


CREW & PASSENGER SERVICES

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

53° 33‘ 47“ N, 9° 58‘ 33“ E

hamburg

scan the QR code and view the traileror visit smm-hamburg.com/trailer

smm-hamburg.com

new in 2014: the SMM

theme days

keeping the course9 – 12 september 2014

hamburgthe leading international

maritime trade fair

8 sept fi nance day

9 sept environmental protection day

10 sept security and defence day

11 sept offshore day

12 sept recruiting day H

MC

- S

MM

– A

nzei

ge -

Shi

pIns

ide

| Dat

ei: H

MC

_SM

M_I

mag

e_S

hipI

nsid

e_20

14_1

48x2

10.in

dd

4c E

uros

kala

, Offs

et |

Form

at: 1

48 x

210

mm

| B

esch

nitt:

3 m

m

HMC_SMM_Image_ShipInside_2014_148x210.indd 1 03.02.14 17:26

http://www.smm-hamburg.com/trailer


Caption togo here

XXXXXXX

AUGUST 2014 | PB56 | AUGUST 2014

FULL PAGE

ADVERTISEMENT

www.singtelofficeatsea.com fb.com/crewxchange

For More Information, contactGlobal Support Centre (24 hrs)Tel: 1800 788 0022 (Singapore) +65 6788 0022 (International)Email: [email protected] Main website: www.singtelofficeatsea.comCorporate website: www.singtel.com/satelliteSeafarer portal: crew.singtel.com

For more information on SingTel Satellite’s products and promotions, please visit us at www.singtelofficeatsea.com or email us at [email protected]

Exclusively by SingTel Satellite

• * For Mobile to Fixed and Mobile to Cellular calls only• Promotion ends 30 September 2014• Calling cards to fixed and cellular lines only• Shelf life of calling cards is 1 year from issue or expires 12 months after first use• New plans and plan upgrade only

Copyright © 2014 Singapore Telecommunications Limited (CRN: 199201624D). All rights reserved.

SingTel Satellite’s premium broadband communications package equips vessels with broadband data and the ideal amount of free voice allowance monthly.

That’s why we are getting more contracts for our FleetBroadband unlimited and high data allowance plans.

Premium satellite communications

package for business and

crew use :

Choice of 2GB, 6GB or unlimited FleetBroadband plan

FREE 100min voice calls every month *

FREE Intouch prepaid calling cards, for up to 200 minutes

FREE email for business use onboard

Option to purchase Sailor, Intellian, JRC and Furuno antennas with up to 25% savings

fb.com/crewxchange

Technical Assistance Centre (24hrs)

100MIN.indd 1 7/14/14 11:40 AM

http://www.singtelofficeatsea.com/ads/fleetbroadband/100min.html?utm_source=shipinsight&utm_medium=fullpagead&utm_campaign=ShipInsight

Maritime Communications

Documents

Transcript of Maritime Communications