Having cheaper, faster and easier internet access at sea is what we all want. Boeing's announcement in January that they would launch their Connexion service (satellite-powered broadband connectivity for commercial airliners) for the maritime market as well was very much welcomed. Although there still aren't any further details available with regard to launch dates, pricing, etc, here you can read an article by a Boeing employee explaining why they are making this move in the first place.
"Vessels need to stay connected, no matter where they are in the world-close to shore or in the shipping lanes across the Pacific and other oceanic regions," said Connexion by Boeing President Scott Carson. The available maritime market could include as many as 35,000 ships worldwide, he added."
Since I was discussing Bluetooth-enabled devices already, here is a round-up of different Bluetooth GPS receivers currently available. Although the review is focused on the use of these devices together with PDA's with streetmap software installed, they are compliant with NMEA standards. This means they will work with your Pocket PC navigation software as well. Just beware of the fact that they are not necessarily ready for use in a (harsh) maritime environment.
There is definitely a benefit in using this type of solution over using something like Mitac's Pocket PC with integrated GPS: "The major benefit of a Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver is that it doesn�t have to be physically connected to the Pocket PC. That eliminates a tangle of cables that dangle in your way while you are walking or driving. In addition, Bluetooth solutions let you position the GPS receiver for optimal GPS reception, and your Pocket PC separately for the best viewing. Bluetooth can travel around corners, and through clothing and other material."
I've talked about the potential of radar and navigation capabilities on cellphones before, but in Japan it is already happening. Although currently meant for navigation in a city environment, it's a perfect example of how cellphones are becoming powerful enough to perform such functions. Combine that with the fact that both cellphones and marine instruments are becoming more and more Bluetooth-enabled, so they can communicate wirelessly, and you will realize that we don't need a dedicated navigation-PC anymore.... Just the monitor.
"Japanese firms Index and Jicoux have developed a navigation system application that runs on 3G GPS phones with digital compasses (which, at the moment, means KDDI's au service in Japan). It includes the ability to show a "radar display" of the location of nearby friends, places of interest, or bus and train stations useful in getting to your destination. There's also a B2B aspect to the service in that, as with most web-based map systems, it would be possible to pay to have your business location displayed on the radar."
I've been waiting for something like this, and I know I'm not the only one. To have easy access to a database with up-to-date and detailed marina information is a great step forward, especially when cruising in unknown areas. And it will just be a matter of time before innovative services will be offered as an add-on. I would not be surprised to see some community driven and/or open source alternatives very soon however.
"Coming soon to the site will be the ability to make slip reservations and other important arrangements right over the Internet, as well as direct to one's chart plotter. Users will also be able to store screen pictures and routes saved in the 'My Marina' section."
A company called Altobridge has a solution that will allow you to make a call, or send an SMS, with your regular cellphone (GSM or CDMA) anywhere at sea, all over the world. It requires you to have an always on internet connection, but that should be no problem if you're willing to spend $25K for using your favorite Nokia in the middle of the Pacific in the first place. Calls to and from your cellphone are charged to the to your normal 'home' account and appear on your bill like any other roaming call.
Oh, and if you're coming in range of land, remember to switch the GSM off. It might cause interference or adds to the terrestrial GSM signals, which the local operator will have probably paid large licensing fees for...
"Altobridge's basic shipboard GSM system will cost Eur 25,000; for a little bit more it can be expanded to also pick up 802.11 and Bluetooth, standard short range wireless networking protocols, and CDMA, another mobile phone system."
By the way, if you have an always on internet connection and you're not willing to spend this extra money to use your Nokia GSM, consider a Wi-Fi SIP phone.
This article in CNET is not discussing the possibilities for satellite internet access at sea, but touches upon a couple of issues that might be relevant to it. Standards and scale. If both happen this will also have a positive effect on costs and innovation with regard to satellite internet at sea.
"Last week, Hughes took one step aimed at cutting satellite broadband costs, endorsing the Internet Protocol over Satellite (IPoS) standard, which sets a common language for devices and applications to work with a satellite broadband service. The hope is to rally support among manufacturers who make PC devices such as handhelds, Wi-Fi hubs and Net phones. If manufacturers all develop products based on those standards, then broadband satellite equipment will become cheaper, the thinking goes. Thus far, Hughes has not announced any manufacturers who have endorsed its standard."
With more and more marinas offering Wi-Fi internet access, and with many other floating hotspots all over the world, it starts to make sense to use Wi-Fi as a telephone backbone. So instead of having to deal with different types of networks (GSM, CDMA, UMTS, etc), and roaming between different operators or having to purchase pre-paid calling cards, why not use the WiSIP WiFi SIP Phone to call home. Make sure folks back home have a SIP number as well (and in the near future that won't even be necessary) and you've got one thing less to worry about.
"Basically, the idea is that anywhere there is a WiFi, you should be able to call anyone you can access via SIP. Just like a cell phone. Except... for free."
"It's a bit "prototypey" but it seems to work... Although I don't have anyone to test actual calls with. It comes with a Free World Dialup number, but I don't have any friend who use SIP. I heard that they are currently working on a deal with Vonage, which will let you receive your normal phone calls on it, but I'd rather have everyone using SIP. I got a few other friends to order them so I'll let you know how it works when I have someone to call. ;-)"
Not as inspirational as the Lake Dal project in India, but nevertheless this is a very welcome gift for commercial ships and private yachts travelling through the Van Starkenborghkanaal in The Netherlands. They will now have the possibility (in Dutch) to enter a wi-fi zone and as long as they're in it, free internet access is available so that email and the latest weather reports can be downloaded.
Although sponsored by Inmarsat, this is a nice guide to help you get the most out of your internet connection while at sea. I like the fact that they are specifically mentioning the use of instant messaging software as a very efficient means of communication.
"One particular application, familiar to most land-based Internet users, that becomes economically viable through MPDS is instant messaging software, available for free from companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo and Netscape, and for business functionality from eg. Mediachase (www.mediachase.com)."
We've discussed least-cost routing and connectivity managers before, and here is another new (software) product from Fiberlink that will help you manage different types of internet connections. Besides these types of solutions, it is also very wise to understand how you can better compress data, or even prevent unnecessary data from being transmitted at all.
"With patent-pending technology called Active Transport Notification�, Extend360 scans a user�s current environment, dynamically detects the access modes available and supported by the enterprise � such as 3G, Wi-Fi, broadband and dial-up � and presents these options to the user in one, easy-to-navigate interface. Users can easily see their options and connect with all available access methods."
Having cheaper, faster and easier internet access at sea is what we all want. Boeing's announcement in January that they would launch their Connexion service (satellite-powered broadband connectivity for commercial airliners) for the maritime market as well was very much welcomed. Although there still aren't any further details available with regard to launch dates, pricing, etc, here you can read an article by a Boeing employee explaining why they are making this move in the first place.
Since I was 
I've been waiting for something like 
A company called Altobridge has a 
This 
With more and more marinas 
Not as inspirational as the 
Although sponsored by Inmarsat, this is a nice 
We've discussed