Maritime connectivity ensures vessels’ safety, efficiency, and productivity. It enables ships to communicate with each other and onshore authorities, access real-time information and data, and stay connected with crew members’ families and friends. Connected technology solutions profoundly impact the sector, including IoT cellular connectivity, managed Wi-Fi services, and fully cloud-based managed wireless WAN across global fleets.
Importance of Reliability in Maritime Industry
Reliability plays a crucial role in the maritime industry, especially given the unpredictable nature of the environment. Different connectivity technologies like satellite and cellular networks are vital for safety, efficiency, enjoyment, and trade. Dependable communication and navigation systems allow vessels to coordinate rescue efforts, obtain real-time weather and sea conditions data, keep crew members and passengers connected, informed, and entertained, and ensure the smooth and efficient transportation of goods worldwide. Despite technological advancements, it is essential to evaluate and ensure reliability in all operating conditions carefully.
Connectivity Needs in the Maritime Industry
Vessels have different purposes. Coastal vessels are for nearshore fishing and travel. Long-range vessels serve open sea operations. River cruise ships offer inland waterway trips. Research, naval, and recreational vessels have specific tasks. Offshore platforms are stationary. A ship’s purpose and tasks affect its operations and time spent at sea, near the coast, or on shore.
Vessels can connect to the internet through satellite, cellular, or Wi-Fi, but these options can be slow, unreliable, and expensive. Advancements in LEO satellites, 5G and LTE-M cellular networks, and edge computing have made high-speed and dependable internet connectivity more accessible.
Hybrid satellite and cellular connectivity have revolutionized the maritime industry. Combining both networks offers better energy consumption, fast and reliable internet access, and maximizes the strengths of each network. This advancement has the potential to significantly improve connectivity on vessels, regardless of their location or purpose.
Satellite Connectivity
Satellite connectivity revolutionized the maritime industry. Geostationary satellites offer extensive coverage but with higher latency. LEO satellites provide faster speeds but have limited coverage. LEO constellations customize solutions for specific use cases. However, the market brings challenges such as data privacy, weather disruptions, and regulatory constraints. It is crucial to choose secure providers, assess connectivity requirements carefully, and invest in training and compliance. Satellite connectivity has limitations in certain conditions where cellular connectivity is an option.
Cellular Connectivity with a Single SIM
Wireless Logic can access every European network to shape tailored tariffs and contracts for each use case for river cruises and coastal areas.
One SIM fits all – the ideal solution for widely deployed vessels.
A single SIM for maritime connectivity ensures global coverage and uninterrupted connectivity for safety-critical applications. It provides flexibility and security and is a reliable and cost-effective solution requiring the management of just one SIM card.
Fully Managed Service
We offer tailored solutions for maritime businesses to enhance their operations, such as managed Wi-Fi services, fully managed wireless networks, and maritime IoT connectivity, improving network reliability and security. Our reliable and secure connectivity services simplify IT management, reduce downtime and boost operational efficiency, enabling real-time communication, collaboration, and data access while saving costs.
Securing your data
Security of mission-critical data is achieved by locking down mission-critical data away from the public networks within MNOs. Using fixed private IPs on each SIM, Wireless Logic’s secure overlay infrastructure enables operators to communicate two-way with each SIM-based asset, with various security protocols available.
The secure VPN solutions from Wireless Logic comply with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 1.6 & 2.0. Wireless Logic’s ready-made infrastructure removes the need for customers to purchase their private network support solutions, which can be prohibitively expensive and take time to install.
Your next step…
For more information on 5G/LTE connectivity for the Maritime Sector,
talk to our specialist Transport & Logistics team about your connectivity needs
Call us on 0330 056 3300
See some of our Transport and Logistics case studies…
