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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.
AUGUST 2014 | 3
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.
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.
MARINE COMMUNICATIONS
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.
XXXXXXXEditor: Malcolm Latarche
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
JUNE 2014 | 5
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.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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.
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.
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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.
12 | AUGUST 2014
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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)
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
JUNE 2014 | 19
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.
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
MARINE COMMUNICATIONS
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.
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.
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.
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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.
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
XXXXXXX
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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.
XXXXX
SHIPINSIGHT.COM
JUNE 2014 | 31
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.
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
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.
MARINE COMMUNICATIONS
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
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 • • • •
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
XXXXXXX
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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.
SOLAS OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE LOSS IN 1912 OF THE TITANIC.
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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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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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.
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
XXXXXXX
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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XX PURPOSE OF A BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) IS TO MONITOR BRIDGE ACTIVITY AND DETECT OPERATOR DISABILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO MARINE ACCIDENTS.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
• 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
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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.
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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE
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.
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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.
XXXXX
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MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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KVH TracVisionantennas
COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE
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.
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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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
MARITIME COMMUNICATIONS
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
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HMC_SMM_Image_ShipInside_2014_148x210.indd 1 03.02.14 17:26
MARINE COMMUNICATIONS
Caption togo here
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AUGUST 2014 | PB56 | AUGUST 2014
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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
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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 *
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Option to purchase Sailor, Intellian, JRC and Furuno antennas with up to 25% savings
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