Why Hybrid Connectivity is Essential for the Maritime Industry
The emerging applications and recent advancements in IoT technology are playing a critical role in the future of maritime communications and operations.
Current ship communications include satellite, ship-to-ship radio communications (VHF), ship-to-shore radio communications (VHF), and limited passenger-to-shore communications (cellular, satellite). Today, the increasing need for connectivity both at sea and onshore has pushed the maritime industry to accommodate higher availability, lower latency, and lower cost communications worldwide.
Ultimately, satellite communications can be expensive, as can roaming on “away” cellular networks. Having the availability to dynamically switch between both networks and network technology cuts costs and improves maritime communications across a wide range of IoT use cases.
Maritime communication is crucial for many industries including shipping and logistics, oil and gas exploration and transportation, large passenger vessels, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD). Similar to onshore mobility and transportation applications, mobile vessels constantly move in and out of network coverage as they travel between ports, through waterways, and across oceans.
Currently, maritime operators either manage contracts with multiple cellular connectivity vendors and/or satellite partners, risking dependance on one network or network technology to keep them connected. However, these options are often time-intensive and expensive.
To solve these challenges, TEAL, a pioneer in eSIM technology, gives maritime operators the ability to connect directly onto any network worldwide.
In today’s connected world, passengers and crew members expect to use their devices to stay connected onboard, just as they do onshore. For example, in the world of yachting and passenger cruises, connectivity isn’t a luxury, it’s an absolute must for those onboard.
Despite recent advancements in communications technology, offering reliable and high-speed data networks at sea is challenging. When it comes to cellular capabilities, 4G LTE and 5G network availability is limited, while satellite is an expensive, high latency and low bandwidth option.
To that end, the future of maritime connectivity requires hybrid networks (radio, cellular, and satellite) to coexist and complement each other within one bundled solution.
Click here to find out how TEAL is helping the maritime industry stay connected.
