Analysis of advantages and disadvantages of existing maritime communication systems for data exchange

Maritime communication systems and devices that are required onboard ships under the SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) Convention are determined by the communication functions of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). This system was fully implemented on the 1st February 1999, and since then maritime communications methods have not been significantly changed. As a result, numerous researches and studies were conducted, intended to improve existing communication systems. Furthermore, the exchange of data in maritime communications is of great importance for the purpose of safety of navigation and commercial services. For this reason, the advantages and disadvantages of existing maritime communication systems for data exchange are systematically analyzed in this paper, in order to determine the guidelines for their improvement or replacement by new communication systems. The focus is on the used modulation techniques, as well as the maximum achieved data rates. According to these characteristics the possibility of applying certain communication systems in communications infrastructure of the strategy called “e-Navigation” is determined. In addition, an overview of international recommendations and guidelines for the modernization of maritime communications in the VHF frequency band is elaborated in this paper.