The maritime communications solution is an alternative to expensive, narrowband Satellite communications. It combines the developments performed by INESC TEC in multiple projects, including EEA Grants BLUECOM+ and P2020 MareCom. The former explored the deployment of the communications nodes on tethered balloons; the latter focused on the deployment on ships.

The solution consists of a communications node that may be deployed in multiple platforms such as balloons, drones, buoys, ships, and offshore wind farms to provide long range, broadband communications at sea, either to access land-based networks or to communicate at sea.

The novelty lies on 1) the use of communications nodes forming a mesh broadband network that may operate in different frequency bands, from TV white spaces up to 5 GHz, 2) a multi-sectorial antenna capable of dynamically aligning its beam, and 3) a new medium access control mechanism for long-range communications improving data rates up to 40%.

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Concrete Application

The solution can be used in a myriad of applications including:

• Fisheries

• Aquaculture

• Maritime transportation

• Marine waters monitoring

• Offshore wind farming

• Maritime surveillance

• Search and rescue operations

• Offshore oil and gas

• Deep Sea Mining

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Market Potential

The solution may be commercially exploited worldwide, namely in coastline countries and considering the concrete applications listed above. The market potential is huge, namely taking into account the expected increase in maritime transportation traffic in European waters, and the increasing activity at sea (e.g., offshore aquaculture, deep sea mining, upcoming autonomous shipping). Wireless communications will be required to support all these activities conveniently, in a cost-effective way, and enable human remote presence at the harsh ocean environment.​

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Key Points

• Alternative to expensive, narrowband Satellite communications

• Providing data rates up 15 Mbit/s

• Multi-hop communications capability

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