Wireless Use News

With supply chain attacks on the rise, and nation-state attackers constantly looking for new ways to disrupt national security and economic stability, one of the most vulnerable areas is the security around our maritime operations. The Biden-Harris Administration's recent Executive Order to fortify the cybersecurity of U.S. ports underscores this concern, spotlighting the urgency of addressing vulnerabilities in a sector that drives over $5.4 trillion in economic activity annually.

As dusk descends upon our nation's ports, casting shadows over the waterfront, another shadow looms in the digital landscape — the threat of cyber warfare. In an era where connectivity reigns supreme, our maritime infrastructure stands at a critical juncture, balancing vulnerability and resilience. The recent White House announcement of a Presidential Executive Order, and a hefty $20 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding proposal to fortify our ports, underscores the gravity of the situation.It is a fact that at this time China has manufactured 80% of our nation’s ship-to-shore cranes…

American shipping companies are spending more than $120 million to repair and maintain their fleets of Great Lakes bulk carriers this winter.The fleet of U.S.-flagged ships, known as "lakers", can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually, including iron ore, stone, coal, grain, salt and sand. Each year after the shipping season draws to a close, these vessels enter shipyards and repair facilities around the Great Lakes for a period of winter maintenance and repair. This…

David Clark Company is best known within the marine market for its wireless and digital headset workboat crew communication systems – the Series 9900 Wireless Marine Headset System and the Series 9100 Digital Marine Headset System. The company has over 20 years of experience designing and manufacturing boat crew communication solutions for a variety of workboats, e.g., patrol boats, fire/rescue craft, and offshore service vessels.But you may not know that David Clark Company started…

Shanghai’s local government plans to provide oceanic coverage of 5G networks by 2024.China Daily reports that Shanghai will build an integrated network connecting all land, sea, air and space internet infrastructure platforms. The development of navigation, wind power and offshore engineering will be coordinated so that they are connected.5G technology will be used for marine supervision, science and technology, marine economy and intelligent shipping.Qualcomm describes 5G as…

J.J. Ugland awarded a contract to ScanReach to deliver its ConnectFuel solution to optimize fuel consumption and reporting for J.J. Ugland's fleet.Onboard Wireless Connectivity (OWC) is the platform for real-time data collection, analytics and reporting to onboard and onshore users. OWC is unique in the ability to quickly install the wireless mesh network, as it consists of wireless mesh network nodes that can be mounted onto bulkheads by crew or installers, an onboard server to host the data and applications, and a Cloud endpoint.

The bridge watch officers on a bulk carrier and an offshore supply vessel were not maintaining a proper lookout before the vessels collided last year near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded.On July 23, 2022, the bulk carrier Bunun Queen was transiting eastbound in the Gulf of Mexico and the offshore supply vessel Thunder was transiting northbound when the vessels collided. The Thunder sustained substantial damage to its port side, which resulted in the flooding of one of its propulsion rooms and three other spaces.

Boatbuilder MetalCraft Marine Inc. (MCM) announced it has been awarded a $31 million contract from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) as part of the Long-Range Interceptor (LRI) III program. This is the second contract MCM has received for the design and build of their 11-meter high-speed Interceptor patrol boat.“Our previous Interceptor for the Coast Guard, the 11M LRI II, proved to be a very successful platform,” said MCM contracts manager Bob Clark. “The LRI II was the first design…

ScanReach announced the permanent appointment of Sven Brooks as CEO effective immediately. Brooks brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the maritime and technology sectors, and he'll look to further solidify ScanReach’s position in on-board wireless connectivity.Geir Utne Berg was appointed as Chief Finance Officer (CFO), and he knows ScanReach well from being a member of the Board of Directors.ScanReach’s forte is in on-board wireless connectivity. Image courtesy ScanReach

UK-based marine electrical engineering company MJR Power and Automation on Tuesday announced the successful harbor trials of its platform-mounted automated offshore power and charging system.The offshore power and charging system is designed to convert energy delivered directly from the offshore wind farm, and enable all heavy hybrid and electric crew transfer vessels and other offshore support vessels to connect and get powered by electricity generated directly by offshore wind…

The state of Texas is putting into service a fleet of new, highly capable patrol boats as it works to detect, disrupt and deter criminal activity along the Rio Grande."Now, more than ever, it is imperative that our law enforcement officers and Texas National Guard soldiers adopt innovative solutions," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said during a recent visit tour the state’s enhanced assets along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Abbott’s official website, the Governor has secured $4 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) said Tuesday it has collaborated with Sea Machines and Foss Maritime to advance the adoption of autonomous operations at sea by issuing approval in principle (AIP) to their vessel autonomy system, the SM300, that provides autonomous navigation and collision detection and collision avoidance (CDCA).Foss is to install Sea Machines’ SM300 system on board its harbor tug Rachael Allen to enhance safety and efficiency of operations. Overall, the…

The United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued three safety recommendations following its investigation into the February 1, 2021, engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough.The Roger Blough was docked in winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility on Sturgeon Bay, Wis. when a fire started in the engine room. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. The shipkeeper on board departed the vessel without injury. No pollution was reported.

A Foss Maritime harbor tug outfitted with the Sea Machines SM300 autonomy system has been verified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The tug, Rachael Allen, is deployed in California, where it provides tanker escort and ship assists for Foss’ customers. The vessel will first leverage the Sea Machines’ autonomy system for routine transit and stand-by operations, and then trial remote piloting from a shore-based command center. The SM300 transit autonomy and station keeping…

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been selected to supply two self-contained traction winch systems for a geological survey drilling vessel in China.The vessel is owned by Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS), a subsidiary of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, together with HongHai Marine. HongHai Marine is MacGregor's partner in China, focusing on MacGregor deck machinery integration and service in the fishery and oceanographic markets.The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2022 second quarter order intake.

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

KVH Industries, Inc., announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Brent C. Bruun as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board. The Board also appointed two seasoned industry executives, David Kagan and David Tolley, as directors of KVH.Bruun first joined KVH in 2008 and has served as KVH’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since March 2022. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of KVH beginning in 2016, as well as Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

OceanGate Expeditions has announced Inmarsat as the satellite service provider for the 2022 Titanic Survey Expedition. Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress high-speed satellite service will enable OceanGate Expeditions’ at-sea crew to instantly connect with scientific and operational resources anywhere in the world and to share important findings immediately while enhancing safety for the entire operation. Following the tragic loss of life in the sinking of Titanic, the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted.

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

Rolls-Royce is expanding its range of mtu NautIQ ship automation systems with three new products offering different levels of intelligent crew support, autonomous control and remote command capabilities.The new products—mtu NautIQ CoPilot, mtu NautIQ CoOperate and mtu NautIQ CoDirect—are the next step in the cooperation between Rolls-Royce and autonomous control and remote-vessel command systems developer Sea Machines Robotics, which was first announced in September 2021.The most advanced intelligent pilot assist system of the new product range…

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and advanced perception systems, announced Monday that classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has granted type approval to the company’s commercial wireless remote-control helm system.Type approval from Bureau Veritas means that the wireless control technology embedded in both Sea Machines’ SM200 and SM300 systems has undergone rigorous third-party testing and certification to meet the stringent demands…

KVH Industries said Tuesday that ScanReach, an innovator in onboard wireless connectivity solutions designed specifically for the steel vessel environment, has joined the KVH Watch Solution Partner program and will offer KVH Watch Cloud Connect services.According to the press release, ScanReach’s onboard wireless connectivity technology enables data to travel anywhere on the vessel without cabling, and, combined with KVH Watch Cloud Connect, the data will travel to the cloud for…

Vroon announced it has selected wireless network service provider Blue Wireless to supplement connectivity on board its offshore vessel fleet. Blue Wireless is supporting the implementation and management of Cradlepoint’s 4G/LTE solution, equipping more than 100 vessels and providing improved access to cloud solutions and maritime applications.As part of a drive to improve connectivity on board, Vroon is working to expand the use of Microsoft Dynamics, MS Teams and other cloud applications across our global fleet.