digital ship (june 2014)

SS atellite operators Inmarsat andIridium have both moved toallay fears that fresh US sanc-tions against Russia in response to theUkraine crisis could derail both com-panies launch schedules for theirnext generation platforms, InmarsatsGlobal Xpress and Iridium NEXT.

In an April 28 statement outlining a

tightening of sanctions against Russia,US State Department spokespersonJen Psaki had said that the US wouldbe expanding its export restrictions ontechnologies and services regulatedunder the US Munitions List (USML),which includes certain types of satel-lite technologies.

Effective immediately, the

Departments Directorate of DefenseTrade Controls (DDTC) will denypending applications for export or re-export of any high technologydefense articles or services regulatedunder the US Munitions List toRussia or occupied Crimea that con-tribute to Russias military capabili-ties, the statement said.

IN THIS ISSUE

June/July 2014

electronics and navigation

software

satcomsMaersk Line video star 14

Internet at sea atStena Line 18

Wireless mobile broadband complementing satellite at sea 22

MLC 2006 boosting crewcomms demands 26

Delivering a Maritime Single Window 38

How Facebook made me the database 42

Realising reliability in container shipping 44

GX and NEXT remain onschedule despite sanctions

Preparing for cyber battleships andimproving ECDIS security 55

Big Data and maritimetraining 57

Bridge Design goesfull circle 61

Inmarsat and Iridium have looked to ease fears that the launch programmes for their respective new satellite constellations could be adversely affected by sanctions against Russia, with the companies stating that they believed

restrictions would not apply to their specific cases

Simply the bestDarren Reeves, General Manager - Stanford Marine L.L.C.

Unlock the Potential of Internet On Board

www.dualog.com(+47) 77 62 19 [email protected]

Headquartered in Dubai, Stanford Marine operates 40 off shore supply vessels throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Our business is reliant on the secure transfer of data thats why we chose Dualog, says General Manager Darren Reeves. With Dualog solutions on our vessels my crew have internet access and my IT Team can remotely monitor and control bandwidth usage.

Dualog provides excellent support and a complete overview thats very important. Th ey are second to none, concludes Darren Reeves.

The first of Inmarsats three satellite launches for GX from Kazakhstan was completed successfully at the end of 2013.PHOTO: ILS

continued on page 2

p1-27:p1-14.qxd 16/05/2014 14:53 Page 1

In addition, the Department is takingactions to revoke any existing exportlicenses which meet these conditions. Allother pending applications and existinglicenses will receive a case-by-case evalu-ation to determine their contribution toRussias military capabilities.

Inmarsat has two launches currentlyplanned to take place with InternationalLaunch Services (ILS) at the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan during 2014,and some reports had suggested that thiscould be seen to apply to the companysGlobal Xpress satellites, which would seethem prevented from being launchedfrom Kazakhstan as planned.

However, Inmarsat told Digital Ship thatsuch reports are pure speculation, andthat it is aware of the US statement and thespecific circumstances it applies to.

Chris McLaughlin, Inmarsat's seniorvice president for External Affairs, alsotold news agency Reuters that the SatelliteIndustry Association in the US hadadvised Inmarsat that the sanctions onlaunches that (contribute) to Russias mil-itary capabilities would not apply to theGlobal Xpress satellites.

This was supported by Inmarsat CEORupert Pearce in a first quarter resultsinvestors call on May 7, who said that the

company continued to have a high degreeof confidence that it will have achievedtwo successful launches by the end of theyear, keeping the overall GX programmeon schedule.

Specifically, we've reiterated ... that wedo not believe the current trade restrictionswith Russia arising from the Ukraine situ-ation will have any impact on our launchplan. This belief is supported by independ-ent advice and from confirmations we'vebeen given, he said.

Commercial and State space pro-grammes are an area of high internationalcooperation and interdependence, withstrong mutual interest to maintain launchprogrammes.

While it is not impossible that theheightening of tensions could lead to fur-ther trade restrictions which might affectour plans, we continue to believe there aregood reasons why further restrictionswould not target the use of Proton launchvehicles from Kazhakstan.

Uncertainty over the impact of thesesanctions had caused nervousness in thestock market, with Inmarsat's share pricedropping approximately 10 per cent, from766.00p at 8.50am to a low of 687.50p at12.20pm, on April 29 following theannouncement.

However, clarification of the situationby Inmarsat seems to have set minds atease somewhat, with the share price hav-ing recovered to settle in the 720p to 730prange a week later.

IridiumFellow satellite operator Iridium has alsoaddressed the issue of potential launchdelays due to Russian sanctions, admittingthat its plans for its Iridium NEXT constel-lation could be hindered by such restric-tions if tensions in the region continued,but also stressing that it did not believethat current sanctions would apply to itsown launch schedule.

Under the Risk Factors section of aMay 1 filing of its quarterly results with theUS Securities and Exchange Commission

(SEC), Iridium noted that its Iridium NEXTlaunch strategy includes an initial launchusing a Russian launch services provider,which could be jeopardised by instabilityin the region or diplomatic sanctions, andin turn could result in a delay to our initiallaunch and additional launch and insur-ance costs.

Our strategy to launch our 72 IridiumNEXT satellites includes a planned firstlaunch in June of 2015 of two satellites on aDnepr launch vehicle under contract withInternational Space Company Kosmotras,or Kosmotras, a Russian launch servicesprovider, with the remaining 70 satellites tobe launched on seven Falcon 9 launch vehi-cles under contract with Space ExplorationTechnologies Corporation, or SpaceX.

Many of Kosmotrass operations are inUkraine, a country that has recently expe-rienced significant political instability. Inaddition, the United States has imposedrestrictions on exports to Russia, which, ifstill in place next year, could affect ourability to launch our first two satellites onschedule.

The company went on to say that if thatlaunch was unable to proceed on schedule,its first launch would likely be of ten satel-lites on the first of its launches withCalifornia-based SpaceX, currentlyplanned for the second half of 2015.

Despite these potential difficulties, inthe companys first quarter 2014 earningsconference call Iridium CEO Matt Deschsaid that he believed current restrictionswould not apply to the NEXT programme,and that he expected the June 2015 launchto go ahead.

There is support for a realisation thatsatellites being shipped to Russia to launchfrom a Russian launch pad is really not anexport into Russia but frankly just anexport through Russian space. Any exportban, at least as we see it at this time, is quitelimited to very specific equipment thatwould be used for very specific applica-tions, which we don't think apply to theIridium base, he said.

We see business as usual for the Dneprplatform and our first launch. Kosmotras,our supplier really of the Dnepr rocket, isUkrainian and we see the current activitythat they're on in terms of developmentswith our dispenser is business as usual as well.

We think that that first launch in June of next year will be on a Dnepr plat-form and don't see right now a lot of concern. But we're obviously monitoringthe situation.

SATCOMS

Digital Ship June/July 2014 page 2

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Iridium plans to launch 72 satellites as part of the NEXT programme

We do not believe the current traderestrictions with Russia arising from the

Ukraine situation will have any impact onour launch plan Rupert Pearce, Inmarsat

We see business as usual for the Dneprplatform and our first launch

Matt Desch, Iridium

DS

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SATCOMS


www.mtnsat.com

MTN Communications reports that bothSilversea Cruises and Fred.Olsen CruiseLines are extending their communicationscontracts with the VSAT provider.

Silversea has renewed and extendedthe companies' 9-year relationship, and isset to increase the breadth of communica-tions services MTN will provide its eight-ship fleet.

MTN says that the latest agreementwith Silversea will see an increase in thebroadband connectivity on the ships, andfurther optimisation of the Wi-Fi networkon each vessel to better support videostreaming and other guest services.

The expanded broadcast, data andvoice services that will be introduced aimat catering to Bring-Your-Own-Device(BYOD) passengers and crew.

Silversea has been an MTN customerfor nine years and is recognised as theworlds top ultra-luxury cruise line, saidJason Cohn, director of global IT infra-structure, Silversea.

Our itineraries cover all corners of theglobe, so it is critical to deliver reliablecommunications and content everywhere,at a level akin to a land-based resort.

Cruising these rarely-visited localesnot only requires mission-critical connec-tivity, but a unique opportunity to showfriends and family the highlights along

Fred.Olsen cruise vessels will extend their communications capabilities under the new deal

Silversea Cruises and Fred.Olsen extend MTN relationships Candice Pascal has joined KVH as vicepresident, Content Acquisition. She willsecure and manage the distribution rightsfor studio and independent films and tele-vision programmes that will be deliveredvia KVHs upcoming IP-MobileCast con-tent delivery service.

Anneley Pickles has also joined KVHas head of business development for thecompany's Crewtoo social network forseafarers. Ms Pickles, based in Liverpool,UK, has worked in the maritime industryfor nearly 20 years as a sales executivewith a range of companies, includingLloyds of London.

Emerging MarketsCommunications (EMC) hasopened a new location in Aberdeen,United Kingdom to support its maritimeand oil and gas operations in the NorthSea and throughout Europe. TheAberdeen office will house business devel-opment, operations and technical person-nel for the maritime vertical, and will be inclose proximity to EMCs Research &Development function in Norway.

www.kvh.comwww.emc-corp.net

Anneley Pickles, new at KVH

Research report highlights maritime VSAT market sharewww.euroconsult-ec.com

Euroconsults Maritime TelecomSolutions by Satellite: Global MarketAnalysis & Forecasts, 3rd Edition reporthas estimated that the maritime marketnow has more than 11,000 active VSATterminals, with just 10 providers having 1per cent or more of the market.

Euroconsult estimates that there wereapproximately 11,220 active VSAT termi-nals in total in 2013, and names KVH asthe single largest provider with 26 per centof the market.

KVH recently announced that it had shipped its 4,000th mini-VSAT sys-tem, and said that its maritime VSATservice revenues grew by 33 per cent in 2013.

The other providers listed in thereports top ten include: InmarsatSolutions with 13 per cent; Airbus DS with11 per cent; NSSLGlobal/Telemar with

7 per cent; Harris CapRock with 7 percent; SpeedCast with 6 per cent; MTNwith 5 per cent; Globecomm with 4 percent; Imtech Marine with 3 per cent; andSingTel with 1 per cent.

Interestingly, the report also listsOthers as holding 17 per cent of themaritime VSAT market highlightingthe fragmented nature of the sectorwhere a large number of small serviceproviders serving a limited number ofships continue to operate.

As a group these Others would holdthe second greatest slice of market shareaccording to the report, ahead ofInmarsats 13 per cent.

Euroconsult estimates the overall mar-itime VSAT market has grown at a 28 percent compounded annual growth ratesince 2010, and that by the end of 2023maritime VSAT services will account for61 per cent of a $1.5 billion maritime com-munications market.

such extraordinary journeys.Brent Horwitz, senior vice president and

general manager, cruise services, MTN, alsocommented that his company wantedSilversea passengers to have the most lux-urious cruise experience available.

With customers anticipating the sky-rocketing demand for land-like communi-cations on passengers and crews owndevices, MTN takes great pride in enablingnew applications and myriad entertain-ment options, as well as business-criticaltools, for the Silversea fleet, he said.

Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines meanwhile has

Maritime VSAT service providers market share for 2013

www.maritimebroadband.com

Maritime Broadband has raised $3.64 mil-lion to, among other things, expand its C-Bird VSAT antenna production capabili-ties.

A Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) filing shows that the US company isoffering $4.64 million in an equity saleexpiring on August 31st, 2015.

Of this amount, $3.64 million has beensold with $1 million remaining to be sold.

Mary Ellen Kramer, CEO of MaritimeBroadband, told Digital Ship that thefunds have been raised to support thecompany's international marketing andsales efforts as well as the expansion of itsC-Bird antenna production capabilitiesthat is necessitated by the sharp growth indemand for the product.

Maritime Broadband raises funds

also extended its four-year relationshipwith the company, choosing to increasethe breadth of communications and con-tent services provided.

MTN will continue to provide crewcalling and its Worldwide TV service(MTN TV), as well as enhancing onboardconnectivity options for passengers andcrew.

Fred.Olsen itineraries bring Europeantravellers to Norway and the British Isles,but also the Caribbean, Mediterraneanand Baltic regions, and Africa.

MTN says that its combined satelliteand terrestrial network provides a world-wide connectivity footprint.

Considering our itineraries, we wantto provide the best at-sea experience pos-sible for our guests and our crew, saidPeter Deer, commercial director,Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines.

Communications are critical to thatequation. Over the years, MTN has deliv-ered value and service excellence, andwith a great degree of flexibility as ourneeds to provide communication productsand services expanded. It is clear we havea common vision of how communicationsat sea should be managed.

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SATCOMS

Inmarsat to distribute films and TV programmes from this summer

www.inmarsat.com

Inmarsat has struck a five-year agreementwith NT Digital Partners to distributefilms, television programmes as well assports and news content to commercialships via satellite broadband.

The new service, called Fleet Media, isexpected to be launched by July.

A monthly selection of Hollywoodreleases and TV packages will be sent toparticipating vessels over the Inmarsat net-work for off-line viewing on PCs, laptopsand tablets. The content will be securelydownloaded and stored on the vesselsInmarsat iFUSION box.

The box can incorporate aFleetBroadband terminal, a localised GSMnetwork, an IP network router, firewall,proxy, and email system.

Fleet Media will be available via anyInmarsat broadband package and vesselowners will able to select from multipletiered offerings. Ship owners subscribing toFleet Media will be able to take it with themwhen they upgrade from one broadbandservice to another (e.g. FleetBroadband toXpressLink or XpressLink to Global Xpress).

Inmarsat told Digital Ship that it will beutilising network management tools andtechniques to control the download andrefresh of data to ensure that normal networkefficiency and conditions are not degraded.

Some of these will include the ability totransport low priority data during the peri-ods when the network is underutilised.

The content packages will be created byNT Digital Partners, which is a joint ven-ture between content agency Spafax andnon-theatrical distributor Swank MotionPictures. Spafax provides inflight enter-tainment for airlines including BritishAirways and Air Canada.

Inmarsat is extremely excited by thisagreement and the opportunities to bringmore benefits to seafarers, said FrankColes, president, Inmarsat Maritime.

This service continues our commit-ment to welfare at sea.

Inmarsat describes Fleet Media as astep-change improvement over traditionalDVD distribution methods. The servicewill be available to ship owners via theirInmarsat Distribution Partner (DP), withthe streamed content specifically licensedand selected for commercial ships.

Inmarsat told Digital Ship that the pric-ing will be based on the content providedand the refresh rates of that content, notthe volume that is downloaded.

Our unique and exclusive partnershipwith Inmarsat brings together the best ofboth worlds, said Tim Swank, chairmanof NT Digital Partners.

Inmarsat and NT Digital Partners are able to leverage Inmarsat's state-of-the-art satellite distribution network withNT Digital Partners streaming technolo-gy and our exclusive relationships withthe Hollywood studios for a product thatwill forever change the crew memberexperience.

KVH doubles mini-VSAT capacity off West Africa www.kvh.com

KVH Industries has announced that it hasdoubled the capacity of its mini-VSATBroadband network off the West Africancoast to support the oil and gas industry.

The additional Ku-band capacitybecame available in April in this oil-richarea, where offshore supply vessels(OSVs) operate as a link between drillingrigs, cargo ships, and operations on shore.

KVH says that the capacity increase offthe West African coast follows a model itbuilt when extending its mini-VSATBroadband coverage for OSVs in the Gulfof Mexico.

Many of the offshore supply vesselsoperating across the globe rely on our mini-VSAT Broadband service, and we've seenhow valuable this service can be in regionswith strong oil industry activity, such asthe Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, and the North

Sea, said Brent Bruun, executive vice pres-ident of KVH's Mobile Broadband Group.

With demand rising along Africa'swestern coast, we're proud to deliver morecapacity and better service for our OSVcustomers, as well as the busy shippinglanes in the region.

KVHs mini-VSAT Broadband networkcombines 19 Ku-band transponders andthree C-band beams. The US-based com-pany has built this global infrastructure byleasing available commercial satellitecapacity, rather than investing in its ownsatellites. The TracPhone V-IP antennasdesigned for this network are smaller thantypical VSAT antennas, ranging from37cm to 1.1m.

KVH says that the ongoing expansionof its mini-VSAT Broadband network inAfrica follows network upgrades in otherparts of the globe and supports its recent-ly announced IP-MobileCast content

delivery service.Using the same network already

streaming into more than 4,000 onboardterminals worldwide, IP-MobileCast will

deliver a separate data stream of licensednews, sports, entertainment, and training,as well as electronic chart updates andweather information.

KVHs VSAT coverage has been strengthened off the African coast

Imtech Marine adds third Ku-band beam over Europe

The new beam will improve services in the busy European region

http://imtech.com/EN/Marine

Imtech Marine has expanded its GlobalKu-band VSAT network with additionalcoverage above Europe.

The service provider headquartered inRotterdam reports that the Eutelsat 10Asatellite has been added to its network, next

to the Telstar 12 and the Intelsat 21 satellites.Imtech Marine says that with this extra

beam it will offer improved coverage forits Marine Global VSAT Ku-band networkcustomers in Europe.

By offering three beams in Europe thechance of antenna blockage from obstacleson board of the vessel is reduced.

Satcom Global / AND Group rebrand www.satcomglobal.com

Satcom Global and AND Group, whichwere acquired by Broadband SatelliteServices last October, have been integratedinto a unified brand, using the SatcomGlobal name.

Satcom Global says that the move isindicative of the union of the groups satel-lite communications services. The compa-ny offers voice and data solutions for themaritime industry as well as the land and

aero markets.At Satcom Global we know that one

size doesnt always fit all, said CEO IanRobinson.

And through this rebrand, we want toreaffirm our commitment to working witheach and every customer to develop freshand technologically advanced solutions totheir problems in the ever changing land-scape of satellite communications.

Ownership and management willremain the same. A range of movies and television programmes from various studios will be offered under the new Inmarsat service

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SATCOMS


www.buzzconnect.co.uk

Buzz Connect has launched a coastalbroadband system which uses 3G and 4Gmobile connectivity and which it says canachieve download speeds of up to 100Mbps.

The HubbaX4 duo has a dual SIM facil-ity, allowing the user to switch from oneprovider to another when cruisingthrough different countries.

Coastal broadband with dual SIM The IP67 dome houses a multi direc-

tional antenna. The UK-based companysays that it can provide a robust connec-tion up to 15 miles offshore.

Below decks the Wi-Fi hub can create abroadband hot spot in the vessel, allowingusers to connect from a laptop, tablet orsmartphone. Buzz Connect says thatmulti-channel connectivity gives higherspeeds on both 3G and 4G LTE networksfor both voice and data usage.

Inmarsat Fleet One goes livewww.inmarsat.com

Inmarsat Maritime has announced that itsFleet One broadband service, designed forleisure and fishing vessels, is now available.

The compact 2.5kg terminals will offerdata connectivity up to 100 Kbps, a singlevoice line and SMS.

Fleet One also supports Inmarsats 505safety service, which routes emergencycalls directly to an MRCC (MaritimeRescue Coordination Centre). In one

phone call, safety services are alerted of theboat position and nature of distress, whilethe caller, speaking to the Search andRescue Services, can be reassured thatassistance is on its way.

With Fleet One, yachts and fishingboats now have access to the same, robustand reliable technologies previously onlyavailable on much larger vessels, allowingthem equally to take full advantage ofonline connectivity, said InmarsatMaritime president Frank Coles.

The HubbaX4 duo system is used to switch between providers in different countries

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SATCOMS


Intellian antenna for GX www.intelliantech.com

Intellian has launched a Ka-band antennaspecifically designed for Inmarsatsupcoming Global Xpress (GX) service.

The below deck unit (BDU) of the x60combines the modem internally with theantenna control unit, which Intellian sayssaves space and installation time.

Featuring eight network ports, the BDUincludes Wi-Fi to allow wireless connec-tion of various devices onboard.

Inmarsats Ka-band Global Xpress (GX)is scheduled to come into service later this year.

Intellian says that its x60 antenna can beinstalled quickly to get this Ka-band con-nection. The Intellian Aptus software auto-

matically configures the antennasystem. Aptus is also available as amobile app to access the terminalremotely.

Intellian says that a Gyro-freesatellite search function enables thex60 to acquire and lock onto thesatellite without requiring a separateinput from the ships gyrocompass.

The x60 supports Automaticsatellite and beam switching forseamless GX operation whencrossing from one satellite cover-age region to another. It also sup-ports a low elevation angle (-20)capability for better connectivityat high latitudes.

Intellians x60 antennas will offer Ka-band connectivity

Navarino equips Hegh LNG www.navarino.gr

Navarino reports that it has agreed a dealto provide FleetBroadband antennas andairtime to the two LNG tankers operatedby Hegh LNG, and is now working withthe Norway-based company to outfit thevessels Arctic Lady and Arctic Princesswith JRC FleetBroadband 500 equipment.

We are very happy to be working withsuch a prestigious member of theNorwegian shipping market, said MarinaAngler, responsible for the NavarinoNorway office.

She added that she looks forward toworking closely with the team at HeghLNG on taking good care of the Inmarsatcommunications on these two vessels.

Hegh LNG provides LNG transporta-tion and regasification services underlong-term contracts, operating a fleet offour LNG transportation vessels and tworegasification vessels, which can bothtransport LNG and act as floating LNGimport terminals.

In addition to the existing fleet, it hasfour floating storage and regasificationunits (FSRUs) on order, of which three arebeing delivered this year with the fourth tobe delivered in the first quarter of 2015.

In other news, Navarino reports that itsInfinity system has been installed on twoships operated by GourdomichalisMaritime, with the rest of the fleet to fol-low soon (according to its website,Gourdomichalis has four ships and isexpanding its fleet).

The Greek ship-management companydecided in December to upgrade itsFleetBroadband packages from the 200 MBplan to the 6 GB plan, with a view to offer-ing its crews internet access.

Crew members can get internet accessby buying Infinity PINs of 50 MB each,and then logging in to the onboard Wi-Finetwork using their own smartphonesThe Arctic Lady, one of the Hegh LNG vessels to be equipped with FB500

and tablets.Tasos Makris, Information Systems

director at Gourdomichalis Maritime, saysthat the success of the system is provenby the fact that the crews are alreadyexceeding 6 GB of use over a month andhave started reaching 8 GB.

Navarino says that, besides crew welfare, the 6 GB plan means that Gourdomichalis can also considermore options with regards to businessapplications.

The shipping company envisages in thenear future to start using the virtualmachine feature of Infinity to create com-pany business account backups and repli-cation of its server.

We are very pleased with the extreme-ly strong take-up of crew internet on theGourdomichalis vessels, said KiriakosStriboulis, the Navarino account managerfor Gourdomichalis.

I am pleased that we have been able tohelp this shipping company bring such asignificant improvement to their welfareonboard, and look forward to deepeningour cooperation through the plannedInfinity business applications.

Iridium submits GMDSS application to IMOwww.iridium.com

Iridium Communications has announcedthat it has formally submitted an applica-tion to the International MaritimeOrganization (IMO) for the provision ofmobile satellite communications in theGlobal Maritime Distress and SafetySystem (GMDSS).

The IMO Navigation, Communication,Search and Rescue (NCSR) Subcommitteewill begin a review and evaluation of theIridium application at a meeting in June.If the application is approved, Iridiumcould begin providing GMDSS services inlate 2015.

Iridium's constellation of 66 Low EarthOrbit (LEO) satellites is the only one thatprovides global coverage, including in the polar regions a fact that the compa-ny hopes will be decisive in the IMOsdeliberations.

The US-based company says that it isalready working with recognised maritimecommunications equipment manufactur-ers for the production and certification ofGMDSS terminals that use the Iridium net-work, which are expected to be availablebefore the end of 2015.

Today, ship operators generally carrymultiple communications systems to meetGMDSS requirements as well as the opera-tional communications needs of the vessel.Iridium says that, if it gains entrance intothe GMDSS communications, it will aim toprovide a single communications terminalto satisfy both safety and business commu-nications requirements.

The company is confident that its net-work meets the criteria for the provision ofmobile satellite communications to be partof the GMDSS, and adds that GMDSS ter-minals utilising the Iridium network willbe expected to have an operationallongevity of nearly 20 years.

There is a distinct industry need fordiversification of service provider optionsfor maritime safety communications,

which Iridium is functionally and opera-tionally capable of providing, said BrianPemberton, director, aviation and mar-itime line of business, Iridium.

We see Iridium's inclusion as aGMDSS service provider as being veryimportant to maritime safety and securityon a global basis, added Admiral RobertDay, US Coast Guard.

Our preliminary review of the Iridiumnetwork capabilities is positive, and welook forward to the possibility of welcom-ing a new provider of GMDSS services.

While the US Coast Guard may be back-ing Iridiums bid, it seems that rival satel-lite operator Inmarsat, the current soleprovider of GMDSS, is dead set againstIridiums current network being allowedto offer safety services.

In an investors conference call on May7, Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce launched arobust attack on Iridium and its applica-tion, warning of what he called potentiallyghastly consequences if GMDSSapproval were to be granted.

The most important thing is that thestandards of quality for safety services aremaintained, if not enhanced, frankly.Fundamental to that is 99.99 per cent avail-ability on the network, and we do notbelieve that Iridium even comes close tothat level of performance, he said.

It is, as such, utterly inappropriate thatthey should even apply, let alone be grant-ed accreditation in that situation, becauselives will be lost if people install thatequipment and it's not available when theyneed it. In the context of a safety service, asopposed to a commercial service, the con-sequences are ghastly to think about.

So, quite frankly, we will be asking theregulators to wait until much furtherdown the road when alternative networksmay be up and may deliver that kind ofavailability before they think about foist-ing that kind of service on a mariner outthere on the oceans needing help. We dowelcome competition, we do welcome

innovation, but it's all got to play by therules. The rules are there to support, cru-cially, safety of life at sea, which is notsomething you should muck about with.

Iridium has already noted, under theRisk Factors section of a May 1 filing ofits quarterly results with the US Securitiesand Exchange Commission, that its satel-lites have now exceeded their originaldesign lives, while adding that actualuseful life typically exceeds originaldesign life.

The statement also said that, while weexpect our current constellation to providea commercially acceptable level of servicethrough the transition to Iridium NEXT, wecannot guarantee it will be able to do so.

In his comments, the Inmarsat CEO also

referred to the age of the Iridium network,saying that he had heard it described, inhuman terms, as over 200 years old by aleading satellite engineer not too longago.

We are aware of (Iridium satellite) fail-ures and we are also aware that the servicedoesn't deliver particularly high levels ofreliability, Mr Pearce continued.

It's clearly an issue for Iridium, compet-itively. They need to carry that network allthe way through to 2017, which is the earli-est date when they believe that IridiumNEXT, if fully funded and if properlydeployed - two other issues they face - actu-ally does deploy. There's quite a carry peri-od when they have access only to a veryelderly and rapidly degrading network.

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SATCOMS


Four more O3b satellites ready for launchwww.o3bnetworks.com

O3b Networks has announced that its secondbatch of four Ka-band satellites has begun itsjourney from the Thales Alenia Space facili-ty in Rome to the Centre spatial guyanais(CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, fromwhere they will be launched in late June.

The first four satellites in the MediumEarth Orbit (MEO) constellation werelaunched in 2013, and the Jersey-basedcompany reports that they are currentlyoperating successfully.

Telecom Cook Islands was the first cus-tomer to be brought up on the constellation

earlier this year. O3b says that other cus-tomers are completing testing and areexpected to turn on to commercial servicebefore the next launch.

Our satellites are now on their way toFrench Guiana and will be launched in lateJune, said CEO Steve Collar.

In the meantime, we continue to rollout our commercial service, bringing upcustomers on the initial constellation.

O3b says that tests with customers haveattained throughput of up to 1.6 Gbps andround trip latency below 150msec. It addsthat the constellation can support 4G/LTEtechnologies.

O3b hopes to launch its latest batch of satellites by the end of June

Airbus DS launches XChange v3 www.airbusdefenceandspace.com

Airbus Defence and Space has launchedXChange v3, the latest version of itsXChange platform.

XChange is used to manage vessel com-munications services, which, among otherthings, lets users manage shipboard con-nectivity while also allowing on boardadministrative tasks to be out-sourced toonshore offices.

The system is fully integrated withAirbus DSs Pharostar (entry and premi-um) services and compatible with a largerange of VSAT terminals, meaning thatshipping companies can use the antennasystem available on board and simply inte-grate XChange as the network manage-ment device.

Improved features in v3 include an abil-ity to prioritise traffic, in order to give cor-porate traffic priority over crew traffic, aswell as an enhanced voice functionalitywith the choice of VSAT voice and up tothree MSS optimised voice connections.Available lines are automatically selectedfor more convenience.

Airbus DS says that this new versionshould improve network access for end-users, as crew members can benefit from asingle account with an automaticallyremembered login for data and telephoneservices on their individual devices. Alldata and voice costs can then be charged toeach crew members account.

Combining XChange with ourPharostar VSAT delivers the most com-plete and efficient IT and communicationssolution for global shipping companiesavailable today, said Tore Morten Olsen,head of Maritime activities.

It is fully focused on giving more flex-ibility and saving money for the shipowner through enhanced management ofcrew voice and data usage.

In related news, Airbus DS has alsorecently launched a new Global Field-Service Alliance (GFSA) initiative toensure quality installation and mainte-nance of VSAT equipment in major ports.

Airbus DS has already certified threeservice partners under its GFSA guide-lines: Pro Nautas Marine Electronics inGermany, Livewire Connections in the UK,and SRH Marine in Greece.

GFSA-certified companies will beexpected to install, repair, upgrade, demo-bilise, replace and maintain VSAT equip-ment to ensure uninterrupted operation ofAirbus Defence and Spaces VSAT servic-es. Other companies and engineers will becertified in the coming months.

Airbus DS says that the GFSA willinclude both Independent Field ServicePartners and its own Field Service engi-neers, with the aim of enabling 24/7 instal-lations and maintenance of VSAT equip-ment in major ports around the world.

Alongside our new AuroraGlobal net-work, this initiative will help to improve

customer support of current Ku-band andfuture Ka-band based services via ourService Provider partners, whilst strength-ening end-user confidence and satisfactionin the satellite services they choose, saidMr Olsen.

We are committed to expanding theGFSA in order to build a substantialresource that is capable of performinginstallations and maintenance to the high-est standards anywhere in the world.

Airbus Defence and Space has alsorecently expanded its Ku-band VSAT cov-erage in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),and will now include capacity on theIntelsat IS-702 S2 satellite as part of itsworldwide network.

The new coverage enables improved

availability of VSAT voice and data servic-es for vessels transiting or operating pri-marily in the Seychelles area, north toEthiopia and south to Madagascar, andshould also enhance security and anti-pira-cy efforts in the region.

By bringing up this network, weenhance our market leading global VSATcoverage to support service providersserving customers in the IOR. The newcoverage enables delivery of reliable con-nectivity up to 3.8 Mbps, said GhaniBehloul, head of Product Marketing,Maritime, Airbus Defence and Space.

The IOR coverage extension is part ofour commitment to maintaining the mostextensive maritime VSAT coverage forglobal users.

XChange v3 offers improved traffic management and prioritisation

Hanjin chooses Intellian FB antennaswww.intelliantech.com

Korean manufacturer Intellian has won a contract to supply FleetBroadbandantennas for 38 Hanjin Shipping contain-er vessels.

Designed for merchant and offshorevessels using Inmarsats I4 satellitebroadband, the FB500 terminals willreplace Hanjin Shippings current F77systems.

Intellian says that the installationprocess has already commenced and willbe completed over the coming months.

With the largest antenna in IntelliansFleetBroadband range, the FB500 systemprovides a simultaneous voice and data

service. The terminal has an IP handsetinterface and an IP connection for e-mail,internet and intranet access including asecure VPN.

Intellian says that the FB500 achievesdata rates of up to 432 kbps with up to 256kbps for streaming IP on a customisedInmarsat service.

This is a significant order for us fromone of the worlds leading commercialshipping operators, said president andCEO Eric Sung.

Our FleetBroadband products aresome of the most advanced, reliable andcost-effective systems available and we areseeing a significant increase in our marketshare in this sector.

EMAS migrates to XpressLinkwww.inmarsat.com

Inmarsat has reported that EMAS, aprovider of offshore/subsea services, hasequipped 35 vessels with its XpressLinkservice.

The vessels were previously usingInmarsats FleetBroadband.

The fixed monthly fee XpressLink serv-ice is an integrated Ku-band and L-bandsolution with VSAT and FleetBroadbandterminals. It also offers an upgrade path toGlobal Xpress, the Ka-band service whichInmarsat says will become commercially

available by the end of the year.We always ensure that our fleet are

at the forefront of innovation and ourdecision to migrate our vessels commu-nications system to XpressLink allows usto deliver better services to our cus-tomers in a commercial environment inwhich service quality is an important dif-ferentiator, said Bennett Neo, CEO ofEMAS Marine (EMAS offshore supportservices division).

EMAS has a combined fleet of over 65 marine support and offshore construc-tion vessels.

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TThe advent of IP-based broadbandcommunications systems in the mar-itime industry has led to significantchanges in the way that those on vessels atsea connect with their colleagues on shore.

Traditional methods of communicationhave rapidly made way for adapted ver-sions that take advantage of the new capa-bilities on offer, with the 5 minute satellitephone or VHF radio call morphing into atwo-paragraph e-mail that can get the mes-sage across quickly and much morecheaply than was previously possible.

However, while the latest communica-tions systems have transformed traditionaloperational processes in a variety of ways,perhaps the most exciting potential devel-opments enabled by the IP-at-sea era willbe applications that were simply impossi-ble a few short years ago.

An e-mail might replace a phone call ora fax, but technologies allowing for newcapabilities like remote access to shipboardequipment or direct monitoring andreporting to shore, for example, are intro-ducing new concepts to shipping that areradically different from what came before.

Another of these breakthrough tech-nologies is live video streaming from shipsat sea. While this has long been thought tobe a prohibitively expensive option forshipping companies, improvements insatellite communications technology, cou-pled with further development in videotransmission codecs and applications, havemade video links between vessel and shorea more realistic option.

One company that has seen the capabil-ities of on board video and taken somefirm steps towards the implementation ofshipboard systems is US-based MaerskLine Limited (MLL), a business within theMaersk Group.

MLLs story stretches back three yearsto the Spring of 2011, when the companysMaritime Technical Services divisionapproached Florida-headquartered appli-cation provider DigiGone to assist themwith bandwidth compression for their ves-sel communication systems.

As Michael Dunleavy, president ofDigiGone recalls, MLLs interest soon

moved beyond basic compression andtowards some of the other applicationsavailable, including its video communica-tion application SecureChat.

During our conversations the discus-sions led to using our SecureChat applica-tion in support of their Anti-Piracy initia-tive, by developing a Closed CircuitTelevision capability for them to beinstalled on their vessels that travelledthrough high threat waters, he explained.

Since we were already usingSecureChat for remote surveillance in var-ious parts of the world via satellite, thatwas a natural transition for us.

Our ability to stream the video andaudio via satellite using our proprietarycompression methods combined with theability for MLL to remotely access the sys-tem to view and control the camera feedslive, using minimal bandwidth was a keyfeature that MLL desired.

Following these discussions MLL pro-ceeded to install an initial system on theMaersk Alabama in the autumn of 2011.This was shortly followed with installa-tions on several other MLL vessels andthen by a series of installations includingthe companys newest K class vessels.

This process culminated in theannouncement, in January 2012, of theestablishment of a strategic working rela-tionship between MLL and DigiGone tosupport the development of maritime ITsolutions in video-related applications.

Beyond piracyAt the same time that MLL was beginningthe implementation of these anti-piracy /CCTV systems on its vessels, DigiGone wasalso developing a relationship with GeorgeWashington Universitys (GWU) MedicalFaculty Associates (MFA), a company pro-viding telemedicine services to the mar-itime community through its MaritimeMedical Access (MMA) programme.

As a result of this relationship DigiGonehad installed SecureChat in the MMAOperations Centre and Emergency Room,and on its physicians laptops, phones andtablets so that they could see and talk toremote patients virtually face to face.

Instead of the doctor having theinjuries or symptoms described to themover the satellite phone, they can maketheir own visual assessment throughSecureChats encrypted video and audiostream, said Mr Dunleavy.

The application can be downloadedonto the patients computer and the doctorcan be conducting their examination liter-ally in less than a minute (depending onthe bandwidth availability and speed).

In addition, we developed a portableTelemedicine kit that contained a netbookwith SecureChat installed that allowedencrypted live video teleconferencingbetween the doctor and remote patient. Thekit also contained GWU/MFA approveddiagnostic tools to assist the physician withthe diagnosis of the patient.

Coincidently, MLL also happened to bea customer of GWU/MFA at the time thesesystems were being developed whichmeant that this Telemedicine kit could eas-ily be included into the MLL system devel-opment package.

As part of our strategic developmentagreement we have with MLL, we turnedthe kit into a multipurpose tool by addingthree more capabilities to it, explained Mr Dunleavy.

The first addition was allowing theonboard kit to access and control the ves-sels CCTV system. Now the Captain andcrew can use the kit to view and control thecameras in case they are sequestered intheir Citadel during an attack.

Secondly, they can communicate withGWU/MMA, MLL headquarters, orresponding rescue units from the citadelusing the SecureChat application installed.

Third, the kit can also be used to sup-port technical support tasks in case the ves-sel needs an onshore subject matter expertto assist them while they are at sea. Usingthe kits external video camera, the ChiefEngineer can take the kit down to thesource of the problem and show theonshore expert such as the vendor oranother Chief Engineer the issue and col-laborate a solution onsite, live.

Aside from the operational applicationsof the onboard video systems, the technol-ogy also offers further capabilities in thearea of crew welfare. Development in thisarea led to the creation of a video callingapplication specifically for crew calledDigiCrew, based on DigiGones existingvideo and audio bandwidth compressionsystems.

With the high cost of satellite band-width usage, it is prohibitive at times forthe crew member to make regular phonecalls, let alone video chats with theirfriends and family, said Mr Dunleavy.

Knowing that crew welfare and moraleis at the top of MLLs and other vesselmanagement companies lists, we devel-oped DigiCrew which virtually bringsthose families and friends to the crew

member while they are at sea at a signifi-cant cost saving.

Video experiencesSince the first ships were installed with theoriginal video systems in late 2011, some ofMLLs Captains have also been able to usethe technology in a range of areas in andaround the vessel, with improved securityand safety of the ship and those aboardamong the most significant benefits.

It seems that, even when not at sea, thesesystems are proving worthwhile for MLL inkeeping its people safe, as Captain Mark S.Rhodes of the Maersk Arkansas explains.

While in port the Bridge wing camerascan be focused on the gangway areas to aidin keeping a watch on who is boarding thevessel, and to watch what is happeningaround the vessel. The offshore camera canbe used to monitor any activity near thevessel, he said.

I have the bridge wing cameras set tothe pilot ladder areas so I can watch frominside the wheelhouse while pilotsembark/disembark, which permits me towatch over the vessels position and trafficsimultaneously. The camera aft is useful towatch when tugs are made up and let go.

Captain Robert H. Sienel of the MaerskUtah also agrees that the CCTV system hasbeen particularly useful in recording secu-rity incidents in port.

In Djibouti, a longshoreman had a dis-agreement with the Chief Mate and waseventually escorted off the vessel, he said.

The gangway camera recorded thewhole incident and if there would havebeen any protest from the port regardingthe longshoreman's removal from the ves-sel, we could have presented that recordingto the port showing the incident and howthe individual was properly removed.

Similar sentiments were expressed byCaptain Michael Rausa of the MaerskAtlanta, who finds the system useful formaintaining full situational awareness inareas which might not be directly visible.

SATCOMS

Maersk Line video starVideo streaming technology is something relatively new for merchant ships accustomed to limited connectivity options at sea but advances in satellite communications and video technologies have allowed companies like Maersk Line to introduce a range of new applications taking advantage of this ability to see beyond the bridge

Maersk Line ships have rolled out a range of video-related applications

A Telemedicine kit, offering video callingwith physicians on shore, is part of the

Maersk Line package

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When boarding pilots, we set the cam-era up to monitor the boarding, he said.

While docking and undocking theengineers are able to view the stack smokeand get an idea of what is happening onthe bridge. These functions may not beable to prevent a marine incident, butviewing the incident after the fact, we canfind out what went wrong and try to pre-vent it in the future.

Captain Alan G. Hinshaw of the MaerskDetroit pointed to the operational benefitsthat can accrue from this improved aware-ness of port conditions in speeding up thedeparture process.

The inboard cam is great to look up anddown the dock during cargo ops, I can seehow much more is left to do when we getclose to sailing. Not always possible to seeout of the Masters office windows due tothe height of the containers, the bridge wing

cams are a great way around this, he said.The aft cam is now used to check prior

running engines or testing rudder, thissaves having to go down to the dock andchecking then returning to the bridge andgive real time information.

The video systems are not just used tomonitor the exterior of the ship beingable to see directly into the engine roomfrom different parts of the vessel, for exam-ple, can also help to make operations thatbit more efficient.

One of the great advantages havingCCTV in the engine room is when we'regetting fire alarms in one of the compart-ments where the cameras were installed, itprovides a quick and live feedback if wehave a real problem or is just a nuisancealarm, and if there is a real problem I couldinstruct the person inspecting the compart-ment of the situation beforehand, said

Chief Officer Horatiu Vintila, of theMaersk Pittsburgh.

Chief Engineer Michael E. Buckley III,of the Maersk Memphis, also notes thatAn additional feature we use, (is that) itgives us a heads up as to when we expectthe Main Engine to be started during enter-ing or leaving port by watching bridgewing cameras, pushing off or comingalongside the dock.

While the telemedicine capabilities ofthe technology are something that onewould hope not to have to call on too often,it is reassuring for the ships crews to haveaccess to such a link to a healthcare profes-sional when the need arises.

We have used the RVS Telemedicine kitseveral times to assist with medical emer-gencies, including the treating of a seriousinjury sustained by a crewmember this tripwhich eventually required a medical evacu-ation from the vessel, noted CaptainRobert H. Sienel of the Maersk Utah.

GWMC (George Washington Medical)was contacted via the kit and they were ableto make a better diagnosis which led to theevacuation through the use of the kit. Wehave also used the kit for other injuries andhave always found it very useful.

Continued developmentWith more than two years of on boardexperience and feedback now collectedfrom officers like those mentioned above,MLL and DigiGone are continuing devel-opment of these video technology systems,and have allowed them to evolve over timewith new capabilities.

Through our strategic developmentagreement and our inclusion of the con-stant feedback we receive from vesselMasters, Chief Engineers and crew, weenhanced the existing capabilities andadded new feature sets with each new gen-eration of systems, that has culminatedinto the current fourth generation ofDigiView, said Mr Dunleavy.

DigiView represents the package ofencrypted communication and video sur-veillance systems comprising a CCTVSystem, a Telemedicine Kit (DigiMed), anencrypted teleconference communicationapplication (SecureChat) and a technicaldiagnosis tool (DigiTech). All of these com-ponents can work independently, or col-lectively as one single system.

With this development set to continuein the future as MLL and DigiGoneimprove and enhance the capabilities ofthe technology, Mr Dunleavy notes that itis the support and enthusiasm of MLLitself that has made this project so worth-while for both parties.

Since the first installation, DigiView hasbecome an integral part of the day to dayoperations of the vessel and an invaluabletool for both the Master and crew as well asmanagement in the safety, security and effi-cient operation of MLL vessels, he said.

The key to our success with MLL is thevision of the Maritime Technical Servicesdivision, our technical development capa-bility and the positive relationship we havedeveloped with other members of head-quarters, but just as importantly the vessels Masters and crew.

SATCOMS

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SATCOMS

Internet at sea at Stena LineFerry company Stena Line began its first VSAT implementation project almost 15 years ago, and has since evolved to

running a multi-carrier network including GSM, Wi-Fi and coastal wireless systems. But even with the very latesttechnology, providing internet at sea for a large number of users is a significant challenge

AA s the saying goes, sometimes youneed to be careful what you wishfor. Many wishes in the shippingsector, both from crew members out at seaand IT managers in office boardrooms, arecurrently directed towards the free avail-ability of internet services on vessels sail-ing the oceans.

Youve got internet at home and in youroffice, and you want it at sea too, right?Simple enough. But thats just not going to bepossible. To begin to create an internet expe-rience like that enjoyed in the living rooms ofwell-connected parts of the world you mightneed to be buying your own satellite.

This is a situation that Raimo Warkki,commercial ship communications and sys-tems manager for Stena IT and responsiblefor the delivery of communications toStenas ferries across Europe, knows all toowell, as he has learned of the limitationsinvolved with satellite internet.

His story begins almost 15 years ago, asStena embarked on an overhaul of its ves-sel communications systems, to moveaway from the outdated technology it hadbeen using and into the 21st century.

As a ferry company we have about 20routes and over 40 ships. We have a lot ofcommercial business on board the ship,with payments via credit cards etc, MrWarkki explained.

We started doing credit cards duringthe 1990s and had a blacklist we needed tocheck the credit card against, and neededsome kind of shore connection to transferthe blacklist.

We had a shore connection with 9.2kbps in the beginning, wired between theship and shore. After that we moved toradio communications at 64 kbps, whichwas a huge improvement.

As data requirements increased howev-er, so too did the burden on the communi-cations network, so in 1998 the companyconducted a review of its communicationsinfrastructure with the aim of introducingthe latest generation of technologies.

We found out that we needed toimprove the communication between shipand shore. So we installed a satellite com-munication system as a test on board StenaSaga, including some telephone lines onboard ship, and connected the IT networkonboard to the shore network via the satel-lite communication. The consequences wefound from that was that it allowed much,much more cooperation between the officeand the ship, said Mr Warkki.

In 2000 we started to think about howto implement the satellite communicationson the rest of the fleet. We started a projectto find out the possibilities to install it. Atthat time there werent that many playersin the market, I think there were three orfour big players asking for the tender.

We advanced with two of them, and ofthose two one has survived today, Marlink.

So it looks like we chose the right one!The most basic requirement that the com-

pany was looking to cover with this projectwas to ensure reliable, 24-hour direct com-munication with the ships that offered amore cost effective way to stay in contactthan the extensive mobile phone use thecompany was already relying on, as well asthe increased need for data communication.

We created something called a Basepackage including telephony and accessto all our systems, Mr Warkki explained.

Some of the ships had mobile phonecall bills of about 7,000 per month whenwe started this project. Everyone who wasin the market at that time knows that thecost of making phone calls via mobilephones was very expensive.

If you are to move people from usingthe mobile phones to using the fixed tele-phones solution you need to have reallygood quality, so we wanted to reach GSMquality between the ship and shore.

One of the challenges involved in creat-ing communications packages for the shipswas the need to not only consider currentneeds but to also project forward into thefuture and imagine what the requirementsmight be in a few years time.

We needed to look into the future aswell, though the future is very difficult tojudge, what we will need and what peoplewill expect. We were sitting and brain-storming, and decided that the publicinternet might be one of the things wecould use in the future, said Mr Warkki.

TV was something hinted at by thesupplier as something that maybe weshould have, if you have TV on board thecrew will be more positive to keep thesatellite system up and running in theirfree time on board. One other idea we hadwas to install ATMs on board to enablebetter cash flow on the ship, as well as offer

GSM coverage on board.There were lots of other small ideas as

well, and I was sitting there feeling like theguys making the first James Bond moviethinking about how things will be in thefuture, like in the 60s where they put mapsystems on screens in the cars. You canimagine how fun that is!

When asked how many of these brain-storming ideas were actually achieved bythe end of the project, Mr Warkki responds:That is quite easy to answer everything.We were able to do everything, and more,though we tried to work smart and imple-ment the things that were prioritised.

RolloutRolling out new VSAT systems, as well asa range of supporting technology, to theships was not particularly easy, as MrWarkki recalls, with some of those onboard dubious as to the merits of this new technology.

When we started this in 2000 we kindof had to force in the solution. The shipsdidnt really understand what the benefitwas for them, he said.

That is a big difference to today today the ships come and ask us, theyrequest can we do this, can we do that?

This process was helped by the fact thatthe company management was fully com-mitted to the project, and was keen to havethe fleet operating in a technologicallyadvanced fashion as much as possible.

We have the good fortune to have acommitted management board that said weshould do it for all of the ships. We went outand did this on 28 ships, which was quite abig deal in those days. The contract that wassigned at the time was worth overall about85 million kronor (approximately US$13million) or something like that if you thinkabout that in 2000 and 2001, its quite a lot ofmoney, said Mr Warkki.

By doing it on all ships we could startto make a process of one way to work, youcan take the synergy effects from differentways of working and add them.

To succeed in this you need organisa-tion. We have a dedicated project manager,a steering committee, and a process to han-dle all of the deviations we might havefrom the project. You need this just to beable to fulfil the project, for 28 ships I thinkit can take years to roll it out.

However, one downside from this uppermanagement involvement was that furtherrequests were made that would be, from atechnical standpoint, difficult to deliver.

Chief among them was a decision to rollout internet access for passengers on Stenaferries something that was almost unheardof at that time in the shipping sector.

When all ships was installed we start-ed to install internet access for the guestsvia scratchcard as one of the first ferrycompanies, Mr Warkki recalls.

Comms mix Moving on from 2000, the company is nowusing a range of different systems for itscommunications, managed by its satelliteproviders, which adds terrestrial systemssuch as GSM mobile connectivity or Wi-Fiinto the communications mix to supple-ment the VSAT services on board.

Stenas map of routes, where most of itsbusiness is in north west Europe with reg-ular predictable journeys between twoports, has facilitated that, with the compa-ny spending a lot of time close to shore andable to know the timetable and otherdetails in advance.

We have a lot of opportunity to mix thedifferent carriers in doing this, one thingthats really important there is that youlook at all the different carriers available,said Mr Warkki.

Satellite is, of course, one carrier butas we go between ports and have lots ofcoastal traffic we can use 3G, 4G, ICE/Net1(a Scandinavian coastal wireless system)and so on. In those cases we also get rid ofthe latency. And we also connect to wire-less in port, we get good performance fromthat and can download all the transactiondata necessary. It gives also the crew goodperformance when they use web basedapplications in the port.

You need flexibility, and you need tobe able to do quick implementation.Business is changing that fast today, wecharter a ship, we sell a ship, we do lots ofchanges in the fleet. You need to havesomething that you can scale up anddown, a flexible solution.

The ability to choose between differentmethods of communication also offers anelement of redundancy which can be use-ful when a growing number of the shipssystems begin to rely on having a connec-tion to shore.

Today a number of our businessprocesses depend on the ships communi-cations. We have, for instance, connectionsto the supply chain when you orderspare parts you do it in the system onboard, and that replicates on shore. This isthe same for the shops and the bars, MrWarkki explained.

We have a reservation system wherepeople need to be able to re-book tickets,and Stena Line also uses the system to cre-ate a new cabin card key or change thecabin keys too.

Payment is one of the crucial functionswe have on board, as were a ferry compa-ny with lots of guests on board they need tobe able to pay for things with credit cards. Ifthe link is down were not able to take cred-it cards, thats one of the major importantservices from our point of view.

Stena has introduced a range of report-ing systems to its ships, sending arrivaland departure reports to authorities and to

Today a number of our business processesdepend on the ships communications

Raimo Warkki, Stena Line

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ports while also delivering reports fromthe ships to shore with current departurestatus and tanks and loading data, so thetechnical department in the office canassist the ship in making decisions.

Shore-based monitoring of the ships hasalso increased, with the company introduc-ing a system from Finnish technology com-pany NAPA which feeds real-time databack to the office.

Weve rolled this out on 22 shipstoday, and we can see in real time what theconsumption is on any specific ship, whatspeed theyre doing, the Froude LimitSpeed, and things like that. This meansthat the technical department can assist theship very well to improve their efficiencywith regard to fuel, said Mr Warkki.

Collecting data has been a big topic forus, we use one system to connect to a num-ber of signals and sensors and thats con-nected to the database. We can then followup on the current situation and look atwhy a ship may have used more fuel onthis trip than on the last trip, for example.We can check on the weather conditions,the speed, these are things the technicaldepartment is also very involved in.

As we all know, fuel is a heavy cost forour business, its probably the biggest costafter the crew. If you can save a percentageof this fuel consumption doing this thenyoure going to save lots of money.

In addition to monitoring on board sys-tems from shore, Stena and its suppliersalso perform remote support tasks for avariety of shipboard equipment an initia-tive which Mr Warkki says has been verysuccessful for the business.

Remote access has become importantfor us, in reducing maintenance and sup-port costs. Everyone knows the cost ofsending a technician to a ship, its often notless than 3,000 or 4,000 to have them visitthe ship. We have installed remote accessfor Transas, for example, and they domaintenance and upgrade sea charts for usthat way, he said.

It comes down to the ideas you have.Its a small thing just to install it, the big

issue is to keep it safe. We dont want, asan example, Transas to do changes in thesystem when we are sailing, so you need tocreate a process for how you will do that.MAN, the engine manufacturer, has con-nected one of the engines to the network tobe able to watch the logs and see how theengine performs.

We do remote support in all differentways, tills, PCs, external systems on board,shoplifting protection systems these areall examples of supported systems.

Internet accessHaving implemented a guest internetaccess system for its ships, Stena Linebegan to look at moving from a scratch-card-based system to allowing free connec-tivity.

After a while the business asked forfree internet for guests, but unfortunatelythat was a really bad request, because youcant really support all of those guests withthe bandwidth you would need for them tobe happy. However, that was somethingthat happened, said Mr Warkki.

I was against it, but the businessdemanded it and we tried to convincethem not to do it as we knew it would bealmost impossible to supply that in a goodway. They wanted to have it anyway, so itwas more of a business decision withoutlistening to the technology arguments.

For Mr Warkki, the problem with intro-ducing the notion of free internet to a shipis that it will create huge demand on board,while almost certainly failing to deliver thekind of experience that users are used towhen they imagine surfing the web.

From a marketing point of there areobvious benefits to the company to be ableto say that its ferries have internet accessavailable. But when hundreds of peopleare connected to a VSAT pipe at the sametime the bandwidth available to any partic-ular device is inevitably going to suffer.

This then begs the question is free inter-net all that the user might wish it to be? Orwill the experience be improved by charg-ing for a better service, limiting the number

of users and introducing revenues that canbe invested back into the comms systems?

Its very difficult to turn the clock backafter that. We are discussing for some shipscharging a small fee for the internet access,but then youre going against the stream we started as the first offering free internetand now we might be first to take it back,said Mr Warkki.

Its hard when you compare it withother industries aircraft with free inter-net, airports with free internet are weable to charge them again? Will the cus-tomer understand that were using VSATand thats the reason they have to pay? Idont know. Thats our challenge, andmaybe it wasnt the right decision to pro-vide it for free in the first place.

Its the 100,000 kronor question aboutinternet functionality, what will the needsbe tomorrow? We dont know. We justknow there will be new needs, new servic-es coming, and changes in crew welfarerequirements. Thats the really big chal-lenge, people have different ideas on howto solve it but its certainly becoming moreof an issue.

Success factorsWith Stena Line now approaching a decadeand a half since it began the process of mod-ernising the communications systems onboard its ships, Mr Warkki feels that he haslearned a number of lessons about how tosucceed in a project like this one.

Possibly the most important, in hismind, is to pick the right suppliers to workwith in the beginning, and to work withthem as partners rather than an externalcompany providing a service.

You need a committed and profession-al partner, I would agree with the idea thatit is more like a marriage than a one nightstand. For instance, we have three suppli-ers, we have Marlink and MCP (for onboard GSM services) on the majority of theships, and Satpoint working closely withinternal Stena IT. In this case weve beenwith some of the partners for more than 15years now, he said.

You need to have a good partner thatknows your business and how to do thebest to support it, because you are depend-ing on them as well. And its not that easyto change from one supplier to anotherwhen weve stepped into a relationship,its a huge job to change the systems toanother supplier. Just changing the anten-nas and the units is a project of a couple of years.

There have always been discussions ofpeople talking about how much band-width you can get for $999 per month, orwhatever it is. This has to stop, and I thinkits starting to change in some areas. Thereis now more discussion about businessvalue and this is where the suppliers willhave to be to survive in future because we,as a user, need their help to define the busi-ness case. We can have our own ideas butwe need the suppliers help.

Defining the scope of the project and thegoals to be achieved in conjunction withthese partners is also critical to the projectssuccess, according to Mr Warkki.

One thing thats important, and its notunique to this project, is that when youstart a project you need a clear idea of whatyou want to achieve from it. Its very easyto add on things, and when you add onthings it takes more time and you risk theproject on it. It was very important for usto put in the framework what we should bedoing, how much we should do and whatwe should do with things that dont fit intothat plan, he said.

You also need to have a good specifi-cation, both with the supplier and insideyour organisation. Everyone needs toknow what they are to do.

Working with a mix of suppliers issomething which Mr Warkki believes willbecome ever more important in the yearsto come, with the lines blurring betweenthe single satcom connection that shippinghas traditionally relied on and the range ofcomplementary systems now becomingavailable, particularly close to shore.

Integrating and managing a widerrange of options is something which sup-pliers will need to be able to do to offer thebest service possible to the ship at sea.

Ive been working with satellite com-munications for more than 15 years andhave a pretty good knowledge, but it canbe difficult to understand the differencebetween Ka-band, Ku-band, C-band, EPICand all of these fancy names we have forthings. It can be difficult to see the benefitsof the different solutions, and I think themarket could do a better job of explainingit, said Mr Warkki.

If I compare a Volvo V60 with a VolvoV70 its quite easy to see the benefits ofeach, but when it comes to the satellitebusiness there is no comparing, you cantdo it. You cant compare apples to applesbecause there is no standard. I think thatssomething the market needs to look at.

Satellite communications, in my view,is a dead term. It should be ship commu-nications, because there is a growing needto mix the carriers more and more. As acustomer I shouldnt even need to beaware if its on satellite or 3G or radio linkor whatever it is. I need communicationwith the ship and my suppliers shouldprovide me with the best solution, themost cost effective solution, to do that.Thats the important thing.


SATCOMS

Stena Line ships were among the first to offer free internet to guests but supporting this service over satellite is a difficult prospectDS

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CC urrently the WorldTimeZone Web-site (www.worldtimezone.com)lists more than 170 countries inwhich 3G mobile broadband data net-works are available. The latest 4th genera-tion mobile networks are operating in over90 countries around the world and strong-ly growing.

Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) and WirelessMAN (WiMAX) have also become a ubiq-uitous infrastructure serving millions ofusers even in the remotest places.

With the growing percentage of broad-band data subscribers in wireless andmobile networks - today about 33 per centof the over 7 billion worldwide mobile sub-scriptions include internet access - the costfor wireless internet access has dramatical-ly fallen over the last few years.

On the other hand, Wide Area Network(WAN) connectivity and internet access ona vessel today still depend almost 100 percent on satellite links.

This article discusses, from a technicaland commercial perspective, if vessel inter-net and WAN access via shore based wire-less and mobile broadband networks offersa reasonable complement or alternative toexisting satellite services.

Wireless NetworksStandards

In general, wireless networks which arebased on ground infrastructure aregrouped in four categories according totheir range (Figure 1).

A Wireless LAN or WLAN is a WirelessLocal Area Network, which is the linkingof two or more computers without usingwires. It uses radio communication toaccomplish the same functionality that awired LAN has.

A WLAN utilises spread-spectrum tech-nology based on radio waves to enablecommunication between devices in a limit-ed area. This gives users the mobility tomove around within a broad coverage areawhile remaining connected to the network.

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotesa set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standardsdeveloped by working group 11 of the IEEE

LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE802). The 802.11 family currently includessix over-the-air modulation techniques thatall use the same protocol.

The most popular (and most prolific)techniques are those defined by the b, a, andg amendments to the original standard.

Wireless Metropolitan Area Network(WMAN) is the name trademarked by theIEEE 802.16 Working Group on BroadbandWireless Access Standards for its wirelessmetropolitan area network standard (com-mercially known as WiMAX), whichdefines broadband internet access fromfixed or mobile devices via antennas.Subscriber stations communicate withbase-stations that are connected to a corenetwork.

WiMAX is defined as WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access bythe WiMAX Forum, formed in June 2001 topromote conformance and interoperabilityof the IEEE 802.16 standard, officiallyknown as WirelessMAN. The Forumdescribes WiMAX as "a standards-basedtechnology enabling the delivery of lastmile wireless broadband access as an alter-native to cable and DSL."

A Wide Area Network or WAN is acomputer network covering a broad geo-graphical area, in contrast to personal areanetworks (PANs), local area networks(LANs) or metropolitan area networks(MANs) that are usually limited to a room,building or campus. The largest and mostwell-known example of a WAN is theinternet.

WANs are used to interconnect LANs toone another, so that users and computersin one location can communicate withusers and computers in other locations.Many WANs are built for one particularorganisation and are private. Others, builtby internet service providers, provide con-nections from an organisation's LAN to theinternet.

In addition, WANs also refer to MobileData Communications, such as GSM,GPRS, 3G or 4G networks. Table 1 (aboveright) shows an overview comparison ofthese technologies.

Regarding their relevance to vesselinternet and Wide Area Network accesswe will focus on WAN and MAN tech-nologies.

Vessel access to wirelessnetworks

As soon as vessels sail in near shore watersor call at a port they come within reach ofwireless shore-based networks.

Wireless Wide Area Networks built bymobile communication service providerscan range up to 30 km or more from shore,depending on the location and setup oftheir shore infrastructure.

Due to their antenna setup and limitedpower, mobile phone or standard home 3Gor LTE routers are not sufficient for bridg-ing such distances. They usually provideacceptable results within a distance of upto 2 km from a base station. However, spe-cialised maritime mobile communicationsequipment can achieve satisfactory resultsover longer distances.

Technically such equipment includes aseaworthy maritime multiband diversityantenna and a modem plus a router.

Antenna diversity with two antennalegs (see Figure 2, next page) is recom-mended due to potential reflections of thecommunication signals, caused by contain-ers, port infrastructure, the vessel itself,and the water surface. Without amodem/router which can make use of theantenna diversity the resulting differencesin propagation delay will lead to lowerperformance and shorter potential range.

Another aspect to consider is the lengthof the cable between the modem and theantenna. The shorter the connection cable,the stronger and more stable the signal willbe with less potential signal loss, even atlonger distances from shore.

Ideally, the modem would be part of theabove-deck equipment, with the belowdeck router connecting to the 3G service asa gateway with the vessels LAN.

Wireless MAN or WiMAX networks areavailable for maritime users in fewerplaces. Some areas have started WiMAXinitiatives, such as the Port of Singapore in2008, but stopped further deployment dueto their complexity, lack of end user equip-ment, and growing availability of compet-ing 4G/LTE services.

Nevertheless, robust equipment is

available, and due to its performance andpotential range of up to 80 km WiMAX isstarting to gain track again in certain off-shore and regional areas.

Recently, a ferry operator implementeda WiMAX network to cover the distance ofroughly 22 km between Puttgarden,Germany and Rodby, Denmark. The aimof the project was to increase the efficiencyof offshore communication and connectiv-ity to central databases on land and of dig-ital payment activities on the ferries.

In this case, a WiMAX network deliversa total bandwidth of 20 Mbps (14 Mbpsdown / 6 Mbps up) at a very low latency,in combination with controlled Quality ofService (QoS) for the VoIP, EC-Cash termi-nals, crew and passenger hotspot andoffice applications, supporting up to 300simultaneous users from the vessel to thedata centre on shore.

The licensed 3.5GHz WiMAX serviceprovides interference free mobility withseamless handover between five ferriesand two base stations on shore. Dependingon the antenna and Customer PremisesEquipment (CPE) on board, distances ofup to 80km can be bridged.

GPS-rotor-tracked antenna systems inradomes provide the highest potentialrange, while the installation of outdoorWiMAX modems with lower cost omniantennas are good for up to 40km range.

In addition to near shore communica-tion for cruise ships and ferries, we also see a growing deployment of WiMAXservices in offshore exploration and off-shore wind energy.

Wireless LAN infrastructure and servic-es for maritime users on board vessels areavailable in hundreds of marinas aroundthe world for leisure and yacht users, butalso at a growing number of areas in com-mercial ports.

Both as a public network or for privatedeployment for specific use, for example atcontainer terminals, WLAN offers anassumed easy way to connect to the inter-net for personal devices like Smartphones,Tablets or Laptops.

As a Wi-Fi access point usually covers aradius of up to 150m, the coverage highlydepends on the local topology and the num-ber of repeaters and access points. The per-formance of a WLAN is strongly influencedby the activities and number of concurrent

SATCOMS

Wireless Mobile Broadband Data complementing satellite services at sea

Satellite communications has for decades been t

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