![]() “We believe that reducing the effort required to administer and support a host of different technologies should offer the potential for significant cost savings.” “We set out to provide a pervasive ‘always-on’ communications infrastructure so that the customer does not have to stop and think about how and when to transmit/receive data,” says Mr Müller. The company adds that since the switching process is completely automatic, the user does not have to spend time joining and making sure disparate systems can work together. Successes such as these, Becker states, means a ship can take advantage of data services designed to improved operational efficiency while minimising the cost of satellite airtime usage. A second phase of the project at the terminal aims to reduce connection failures to less than 25 per day. ![]() This technology was most successfully demonstrated at the Hamburg Container Terminal, where Becker was able to improve reliability by 98 per cent, shrinking the average number of connection drops and disconnects dramatically. In effect, this means an antenna could be placed in front of a radar beam or beside a VHF or UHF mast and still be able to operate normally. The antenna is 18cm tall with the diameter of an ordinary compact disc.īecker states that the MMOA eliminates all outbound interference up to 90dB. This provides 5dB gain for quad-band 2G GSM networks operating in the 800-1,900 MHz range, for 3G GSM networks in the 1,900-2,100 MHz range, for Wi-Fi on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and for WiMax in the 3-3.5 GHz band. The new antenna, dubbed the Multi-band Maritime Omni Antenna (MMOA), is needed. For example, it can employ reflections from water, container bridges and containers to increase signal range, quality and reliability.” According to Becker, umc.connect portnet can provide up to 6 Mbps bandwidth for a global flat-rate without any limit of time and volume.Īsked whether wireless protocols are equally susceptible to performance degradation due to the immense steel structures typically found in ports, Mr Müller responds: “This was a problem, so we developed a patent-pending antenna and RF (radio frequency) system that not only overcome these issues, but which we can actually use to our advantage. This was initiated because satellite services are either not permitted in ports or their performance suffers due to local environmental factors such as container cranes blocking the line of sight. “As such, we can use any two-way copper cabling, phone cabling, TV co-axial cabling and power cabling as well as Wi-Fi in order to provide network connectivity throughout the vessel – without the logistical complications of wiring up a ship-wide local area network using conventional Ethernet cables.”īecker is also establishing wireless broadband in 80 major ports worldwide, in a service called umc.connect portnet. Besides selecting the most appropriate outbound link, this philosophy extends to the onboard infrastructure. Becker’s managing director, Thomas Müller, explains: “The idea behind umc.global network is to provide a ship with pervasive network access and to make this transparent to the user and connected systems. The system is also compatible with second and third generation GSM services when a ship is operating in coastal areas where there is a strong enough signal from terrestrial mobile networks. ![]() The Hamburg-based company is offering a turnkey solution, known as umc.global, which seamlessly integrates the various communication services available – including conventional and broadband Inmarsat terminals or VSAT units – and automatically selects the most cost efficient service for the task. The communications business unit of Becker Marine Systems believes it can solve this dilemma. Does he choose to become reliant on a single technology, thereby reducing initial capital outlay and complexity of onboard network infrastructure and related upkeep costs? Alternatively, does he install several different systems to ensure he secures the cheapest data rates but with higher installation and, potentially, maintenance costs. Traditionally, this has proved a dilemma for the owner. Most are honed for specific usage patterns and operational areas. When it comes to providing ships with a broadband speed Internet connection, owners and operators are today faced with a plethora of proprietary systems and technology types. Becker Marine Systems has taken the ‘bull by the horns’ to come up with a service that provides connectivity across disparate and proprietary communications hardware often found on modern ships ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |