Wireless Network News

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.

Keeping track of personnel on board (POB) “will be a requirement on all contracts” with offshore energy companies, predicted Tonny Sørdal, vice-president for quality, safety, health and environment of support vessel operator Olympic Subsea ASA.He was speaking just a year after one of its customers first asked for that capability and now, seven of the company’s 10 vessels have been fitted with a system that not only tracks crew and contractors while they are on board, but also as they transfer from the vessel to wind turbines and even within the turbine itself.

The electrical capacity of the APM Terminals Barcelona has also been improved, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 600 tonnes per annum, said the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague.As part of a broader Port of Barcelona’s programme for alternative fuel use, APM Terminals is also working with LNG services provider HAM, technology provider IDIADA and Naturgy Iberia, on a pilot to convert an existing straddle carrier to natural gas.Natural gas burns a lot more cleanly and efficiently than diesel. The straddle carrier’s two 150 kW diesel-based motor engines are currently being converted to natural gas while maintaining the same level of performance.

Resilience planning, Info Sharing Take Spotlight“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” That old chestnut gets turned on its head when it comes to port cyber security. It’s more like “Oh what a tangled web we’ve woven, so much harder to stop data stolen.”Ports today have the physical aspect of security pretty well nailed shut - gates, locks, fencing, alarms, cameras, drones, etc. As Chris Mason, Rajant Corp.’s director of sales for EMEA, notes, “Every…

While debates rage in regards to safety, insurance and cyber security, the tech powering autonomous maritime operations continues to power ahead.Advances in sensor technology, data analytics and bandwidth-to-shore are fundamentally changing the way shipping works. And as operations are digitalized, they become more automated, Dr. Pierre C. Sames, Director of Group Technology & Research at class society DNV GL, has stated.Governments around the world are looking into unmanned shipping…

King Abdullah Port announced the increase of its throughput to 821,694 TEU in the first half of 2017, representing an increase of around 14% compared to the same time last year, where the throughput was 720,483 TEU. The port also announced an increase in the number of vessels received during the same period, reaching 398 vessels compared to 349 in the first half of 2016, also representing a 14% increase. In its report on the merchandise exports and imports of the Kingdom, the General Authority for Statistics revealed that the imports of King Abdullah Port increased by 60.7% in May 2017, increasing the value of imports to SR1,277 million compared to SR795 million in May 2016.

Norway has become the first nation to implement maritime broadband communication on ships and planes in public service, enabling exchange of information that can be crucial in limiting damage when accidents occur. Kongsberg Seatex and Radionor have teamed up to develop Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR), which the Norwegian companies say is, in contrast to previous systems, highly stable and has extensive reach. Among other capabilities, MBR also enables streaming of HD-video. MBR does not require an internet connection to connect units in the network…

Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. of Bayou La Batre, Ala. has been recognized for its Outstanding Achievement in Innovative Manufacturing by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama for the shipbuilder’s GORDHEAD management software, which aims to improve communication between shipbuilders and other manufacturers. With GORDHEAD the owner’s representative remains integrally connected to the project 24 hours/day, seven days/week. The entire shipbuilding team, including the owner, sees a real-time schedule, complete with task percent completes and the overall scheduled finish date of the project.

Bluetide Communications’ Access Management Portal (AMP) application for wireless network management is changing the way workboat operators manage data, crew and costs. Thousands of miles, and weeks or months out at sea, the next best thing to physically being there, is an electronic connection home, and today, mariners increasingly are reluctant to board vessels without access to some form of it. Internet access and cheap global roaming SIM cards top the list of desired amenities in recent surveys of seafarers.

Access Management Portal (AMP) is now available in the Apple app store. BlueTide Communications (BlueTide) has released Access Management Portal (AMP), BlueTide’s second proprietary iOS app, on the Apple app store. AMP allows for control of wireless networks directly from an iPad device. Designed for Ubiquiti WAP management, AMP is like a fuel gauge for bandwidth. With the ability to monitor usage by network, devices in use by WAP or data use by WAP, AMP delivers a real-time snapshot of how bandwidth is used and by whom. To ensure business-critical applications have sufficient bandwidth to perform, AMP enables customers to block and reauthorize devices instantly. This feature disables wireless access to non-critical devices until business operations are completed.

SignalFire Wireless Telemetery has added new tools and capabilities to its Field Setup and Diagnostic ToolKit that optimize the user-friendliness and customer productivity of its range of Remote Sensing Systems. Interfacing with sensors, thermocouples, load cells, pots and even turbine meters, the Signal Fire Wireless Remote Sensing Systems (SFRSS) support long-distance, wireless communications across devices in challenging, large scale environments such as oil fields. The Field Setup and Diagnostic Toolkit offers different PC applications for customizable configuration and diagnostics for all SignalFire hardware. Gateway Logging- Working in conjunction with network mapping, this powerful diagnostic tool permits users to monitor the health and performance of their wireless network.

General Dynamics successfully completed the initial field deployment and test of the Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) upgrade for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This test demonstrated many technical capabilities of the RVSS system and is a key program milestone in its deployment schedule. U.S. Border Patrol agents are currently operating the RVSS in Nogales, Ariz., and CBP has also initiated deployments in both Naco and Douglas, Ariz. "The Remote Video Surveillance System is a critical element of our overall plan to secure the border, increase our mission effectiveness and protect our agents," said Mark Borkowski, assistant commissioner and chief acquisition executive of CBP's Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition.

SignalFire Wireless Telemetry has expanded the capabilities of its Multi Input/Output (MIO) Module to connect directly (Modbus) with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or be configured to perform autonomous local control where an input can trigger a relay output when a set threshold is met. In its standard configuration, the MIO Module provides wireless I/O capability as part of Signal Fire’s Remote Sensing System, sending data from attached sensors to a SignalFire Gateway that can report inputs and write outputs via its wireless network. Now, when operating in non-wireless Modbus mode, the SignalFire Multi I/O Module can be connected directly to a user’s controller via Modbus RS-485 or operate independently without any outside device controlling it.

InfiNet Wireless has announced the deployment of its wireless solutions within the icy Gulf of Finland. InfiNet Wireless' solutions will be used to create a modern technological wireless network within the Gulf, with the project being carried out by communications experts Geyzer-Telecom. Operating within the Gulf is a fleet of 16 ice breakers, each with a length of 119 meters and an unlimited sailing range. The suggested network coverage area is in excess of ten thousand square kilometers as the ice breaking fleet not only have to travel to break ice measuring 1.5 metres thick…

WiFi@Sea high-speed network will combine land-based systems and advanced satellite connectivity designed to give passengers faster, more stable and powerful internet service at sea. With connectivity speeds that can be roughly 10 times faster than ever before, passengers will be able to share their cruise experience via Internet, email and social media in real time. Carnival Corporation & plc has unveiled a hybrid wireless network – a high-speed service to eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships on all nine of its brands.

University at Buffalo (UB) researchers are developing a deep-sea Internet: they consider that the technological breakthrough could lead to improvements in tsunami detection, offshore oil and natural gas exploration, surveillance, pollution monitoring and other activities. “A submerged wireless network will give us an unprecedented ability to collect and analyze data from our oceans in real time," said Tommaso Melodia, UB associate professor of electrical engineering and the project’s lead researcher.

MTN Satellite Communications launched MTN Nexus, a next-generation comms network billed as a hybrid that integrates it with new terrestrial wireless technologies as well as sophisticated computing, powerful processing and specialized optimization. Targeting the high volume cruise sector, MR thought an apt time to sit down with CEO Errol Olivier to discuss Nexus and its relevance to communications at sea. We understand you are a maritime satcom industry veteran. Can you give our readers a briefing on your background serving this market?

Ancylus AB & Net1 enter a strategic partnership to offer the Scandinavian & Nordic maritime market a hybrid broadband solution. The new Hybrid broadband solution is tailor-made for the shipping industry operating in the Nordic waters. By offering the Net1’s wireless broadband the vessels can get connected with high speed internet while they are close to the Scandinavian shores (50 – 60 nm) or in the ports, without any roaming issues. Once the vessels leave the reach of the wireless network the communication switches over to broadband via satellite, provided by Ancylus.

The advent of maritime communications is at a crossroads of sorts, with increased demand for connectivity that mirrors land-based performance, but still stuck at a price point which makes this reality too costly. The situation is particularly poignant onboard modern cruise ships, packed with thousands of passengers and crew that want and need to stay connected. Enter MTN Satellite Communications which today announced the launch of its MTN Nexus, the company’s next-generation communications network.

The Port of Pittsburgh’s state-of-the-art wireless network will eventually allow a myriad of users to collaborate, improve operations, maritime safety, security and a host of other tasks. Really: the cloud is the limit. This story weaves technology, leadership and innovation – all of it happening on the waterfront. The inland waterfront. If this sounds like something more closely associated with bluewater container shipping logistics, then you can be forgiven for getting lost in the moment.

Port Newark container terminal deploys Firetide wireless Video Surveillance Network to secure its New Jersey port Operations. Firetide, Inc. the leading provider of wireless infrastructure mesh networks, announce that Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), located in the Port of New York/New Jersey, which handles more than 600,000 containers annually, has completed the phase two deployment of Firetide's wireless video surveillance network that enables security and safety officers to view live indoor and outdoor video feeds of the gigantic 180 acre port facility and its operations. The first phase of the Firetide wireless infrastructure…

GIE Nouméa Port & Vale NC go live with Tideworks’ TOS at two South-west Pacific ports. Tideworks Technology®, Inc., a provider of full-service terminal management and planning software solutions, announce that both Vale New Caledonia, at Prony Port in New Caledonia, and GIE Nouméa Port, also in New Caledonia, have gone live with Tideworks terminal operating system (TOS) solutions. Tideworks Technology implemented its TOS solutions at both facilities to more efficiently manage operations. GIE Nouméa Port, established in 2006, handles containers and break bulk in the Port of Nouméa, the main port of French Overseas Territory New Caledonia, in the South Pacific.

CellAtSea®, the brand name of Maritime Communication Partners (MCP) digital wireless services, enables passengers and crew to remain connected through voice, messaging, MMS, mobile internet and Blackberry services while at sea, and the company states a record 24% growth in its digital wireless service over the past 3 years. MCP's global maritime wireless network provides passengers and crew with superior wireless connectivity, and instant access to onboard information and entertainment applications. Virtually seamless, the service is conveniently billed by the user's home carrier. "We experienced an average of 180% increase in data traffic with record passenger and crew use of mobile internet and smart phone services in 2011.