New Guidelines, Shipboard Wireless LAN Systems

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) announced the publication of a new guideline entitled, Guidelines on Shipboard Wireless LAN Systems.

The use of wireless LAN systems is becoming more accessible in public areas onshore such as airports, train stations, and hotels.  However, with the exception of some passenger ships, LAN systems onboard ships have predominantly been limited to wired systems.

Even though it is difficult to predict the transmission characteristics of radio waves within the hull structure of a ship completely surrounded by steel plate, there have been increasing calls for being able to use wireless IP phones, remote wireless cameras, and wireless personal computers onboard ship as such systems become ever increasingly more popular.

Many benefits can be expected to result from converting present shipboard wired LAN systems to wireless systems, including lightening equipment installation work as well as simplifying the normally difficult rearranging and adding of equipment to systems once they have been installed.

Ever since the concept of a highly scalable wireless LAN concept for use onboard cargo ships was proposed in the spring of 2008, ClassNK has been working on the development and preparation of the Guidelines on Shipboard Wireless LAN Systems.

The guidelines have been prepared as a reference for those considering installing wireless LAN systems onboard ship as well as for those involved in the actual design of such systems.  As such, the guidelines introduce terminology, required standards and specifications, applicable requirements, system design information, procedures for shipboard tests, as well maintenance and application examples.

The guidelines will be available for downloading from the ClassNK website from mid October 2009 onwards.

(www.classnk.or.jp)