Maritime communications – A review of potential wireless communication technologies

The recent advances in wireless mesh communications technologies have given the rise to evolve maritime wireless mesh networks (MWMNs). Maritime users require more high data rate applications, where the cost associated with the conventional satellite and the legacy systems that provide low data rate applications have posed major limitations for the emergence of MWMNs. Besides, the network architecture and protocol design remain big challenges in coping with the different ship mobility patterns and with the numerous navigational scenarios in the maritime environment. Most of the research studies [1], [2] have focused on the development of maritime communications technologies, where less attention has been considered to provide a realistic and reliable framework to implement a network that can satisfy maritime users' requirements. This paper provides a detailed research study (an in-depth overview) on maritime communications technologies which can be deployed for implementing reliable and resilient maritime wireless mesh networks. Comprehensive guidelines are outlined to easily understand and critically assess the different deployed maritime communications networks, and identify the milestones in the process of developing MWMNs. Wireless service providers will use the outcome of this research research in expanding their communications infrastructure to the maritime environment.

To simultaneously address dual demands on the spectral efficiency and the data transmission rate of maritime communications, in this paper, a novel maritime communication technology based on time-delay overlapping modulation (TDOM) is proposed. In TDOM, multiple carriers are delayed in turn and directly overlapped in the time domain to form the communication symbol. In this way, the strict orthogonality between carriers can be broken through, indicating that the frequency interval between carriers can be much narrower than ever. In other words, TDOM can achieve non-orthogonal communication and realize both higher spectral efficiency and a higher maritime communication rate. The system architecture is designed, and its performance is analyzed and compared with that of other typical maritime communication technologies such as the very-high-frequency data exchange system (VDES). It is shown that TDOM can reach up to 20 times the peak communication rate and the spectral efficiency of VDES. As a digital modulation technology implemented in the physical layer, the proposed TDOM can be extended to other communication systems such as satellite communications or 4G/5G based off-shore communications.

Nowadays, the digital development of marine ranching requires a communication system with wide coverage, high transmission rate and stable communication links. It is known that fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have great advantages in long‐range applications. They have the potential to serve as low‐altitude communication platforms for maritime communication. In this study, with a developmental perspective, considering the intense growth of marine terminals in the future, a new clustering algorithm applied to cluster nonorthogonal multiple access (C‐NOMA) is proposed and its advantages are investigated. In addition, considering the limited energy of marine terminals, combining the wireless power communication (WPC) technology for the UAV to charge terminals, the charging and communication time are optimized with the Lagrange multiplier method and the bisection search method. After completing the above optimization content of charging and communication, combined with the optimization results, it is found the trajectory that maximizes the energy efficiency of the UAV with the convex optimization technique. Experimental results show that the proposed clustering algorithm has good throughput performance, better fairness and lower algorithm complexity, and the proposed trajectory optimization scheme has better energy efficiency.

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) have been attracting increasing interest for supporting a new generation of ubiquitous computing systems with great potential for many applications. However, the communication paradigms in WSNs differ from the ones associated to traditional wireless networks, triggering the need for efficient wireless communication technology. Several wireless technologies have emerged ranging from short and medium distance. Bluetooth, ZigBee and Impulse Radio Ultra Wide Band (IR-UWB) are three popular short range wireless communications. Due to its various features and advantages (especially low power consumption and low complexity), IR-UWB is a very promising wireless communication technology for WSN. In this paper, we evaluate the main features and advantages of this new technology (IR-UWB) for WSN in terms of transmission time, data coding and power consumption compared to Bluetooth and ZigBee. To analyze and evaluate the main features and advantages of IR-UWB as an efficient short range wireless communication technology for WSN, we used MiXiM platform under OMNet++ simulator.

The wireless optical communication is a kind of broadband access technology, it can be said that it properly combined with the optical fiber and wireless communication technology. More to say, it is a powerful supplement of modern optical fiber communication. In this paper, based on the advantages of wireless optical communication technology, this paper introduces the wireless optical communication technology in the application of 2G network, 3G network and extends the application in backbone network, and analyzes the common problems and solutions in the wireless optical communication. With the advance of technology, the wireless optical communications technology development prospects will be more and more broad, is worthy of popularization and application.

The growing significance of ubiquitous 6G connectivity within the maritime sector is a consequence of its evolution into an era characterized by the adoption of autonomous ships. This evolution necessitates the development of adaptable communication capabilities, even in the face of increasing heterogeneity in Radio Access Networks (RANs). This heterogeneity is a consequence of the extended lifespans of maritime communication technologies used by both legacy and emerging ships at sea, in contrast to the generational shift seen in terrestrial communication technologies. This paper undertakes a comprehensive examination and provides an insightful overview of communication technologies within the framework of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards with the aim of preparing for the forthcoming 6G standardization to enable ubiquitous 6G connectivity in the maritime domain. The primary focus of this paper is the mobile RAN entities (e.g., satellites and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs)) positioned for integration into the 5G and beyond systems. These entities are distinguished by their differences from conventional terrestrial RAN entities, which are typically stationary on land. This integration enables User Equipment (UE) to connect to various RAN entities, including mobile RANs, interconnected with core networks, thereby granting UE secure access to external internets through 5G and beyond systems, enabling them to enjoy a diverse range of application services, even in areas beyond terrestrial coverage, such as at sea. This paper further conducts an in-depth analysis of a transport layer-level solution known as the Access Traffic Steering, Switching, and Splitting (ATSSS) feature enabling a concurrent connection to multiple RANs for data-traffic delivery. Furthermore, this paper explores opportunities and challenges for future research in the realm of forthcoming 6G standardization within 3GPP, especially when combined with the ATSSS features for the success of autonomous ships within the maritime sector. These considerations encompass the concept of autonomous ships as mobile RAN entities, the integration of legacy maritime communications into the 6G framework, and the variability in maritime channel measurements, generally employed as one of the criteria for selecting an appropriate RAN among multiple options, influenced by uncontrollable factors such as climate change.

QoS requirements pertaining to the application group. As can be seen, the requirements vary from a few bytes to be transmitted for operational management below 10 kbps, to data packages of sizes of above 100 Mbytes for special purpose applications (such as e.g for complex offshore operations).

We analyze the actual condition of wireless resource environment for AIS system used in maritime communication, and propose a method to detect malfunctioning wireless communication device. When an AIS system is transmitted in a manner incompatible with the slot timing due to malfunction, the AIS wireless apparatus of the Carrier Sense Time Division Multiple Access (CSTDMA) scheme can communicate but the usable slot available becomes smaller and the AIS wireless apparatus of the Self Organized Time Division Multiple Access (SOTDMA) scheme may fail to receive an AIS message due to transmission data collision on the wireless. Through the analysis of the experimental results, it was confirmed that a large number of malfunctioning AIS radio devices are actually transmitting at the actual sea. In this paper, we propose a method to improve the performance of the maritime wireless communication by improving the wireless interference environment due to malfunctioning transponder by finding out the malfunctioning AIS wireless communication device and compensating or removing it to secure the occupied slot by erroneous operation.

The interconnection of all things and industrial integration is the current trend of the times. Among them, the interconnection of all things is the demand of informationization of the times, and the industrial integration is the demand of industrial development. The interconnection of all things is realized based on wireless communication technology. It is necessary to combine the development of the tourist area and the surrounding culture. The relationship between tourist attractions and culture needs to be fully and effectively developed. In order to fully explore the advantages of the cooperation between the two, it is necessary to combine modern technology to package the tour process of each characteristic culture of the scenic spot. Virtual reality is a modern technology that can combine culture and tourism. Wireless communication and VR technology are applied to the development of integration of culture and tourism. The process of tourism will promote profound changes in the tourism model. Under the demand for informatization in various industries, the tourism industry is gradually developing in this direction. The integration of culture and tourism will also be driven by informatization and technology. This paper analyzes the current situation of culture and tourism, summarizes the problems existing in the current process of integration of culture and tourism, and finally puts forward targeted solutions. Mainly in the process of the integration and development of tourism and cultural industries, the traditional culture and scenic spots are the basic factors, combined with wireless communication and virtual reality technology, to develop a tourism industry with technological characteristics of the new era.

Nowadays, a hybrid of communication technologies including a variety of wired and wireless technologies have been used in smart grid. Each wireless communication technology has its advantages and disadvantages. Short-range links, high power consumption, high cost, or a mesh topology are the main characters for wireless technologies. Due to wireless connection problems in mesh topology and a large amount of infrastructure required to build a reliable network, the costs of deployment for smart grid are still amazing. Recently, a new wireless technology Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) has challenged typical wireless connection. It is characterized by low-cost and long-range transmission technologies, and enables power efficient communication over very long distances using a simple topology. In this paper, we introduce the new wireless technology to implement the applications in smart grid, and discuss its advantages and the potential opportunities and challenges that can bring to smart grid.

The fifth generation (5G) wireless systems have been begun to be widely deployed over the world in recent years. As the 5G technology will not be able to meet the demands of the huge data traffic growth from massively interconnected devices that is forecasted for future years, the attention of the research community is shifting toward what will be the next innovations in wireless communication architectures and technologies for beyond 5G. The topic of beyond 5G wireless communication technologies has gained much momentum in the industry and the research community very recently. In this issue of IEEE Wireless Communications, we are pleased to present two Special Issues to bring together researchers, industry practitioners, and individuals working on the related areas to address some of these technical challenges for 5G and beyond wireless communication technologies. The Special Issue on “6G: The Paradigm for Future Wireless Communications” includes a collection of nine articles presented by Guest Editors S. Mumtaz, C. Jiang, A. Tölli, A. Al-Dulaimi, M. Butt, H. M. Asif, and I. Ashraf; the other Special Issue, on “Smart, Optimal, and Explainable Orchestration of Network Slices in 5G and Beyond Networks,” includes a collection of five articles presented by Guest Editors Z. M. Fadlullah, M. M. Fouda, K. Rabie, and R. Li. Thanks to the two Guest Editor teams who did an excellent job in editing these two Special Issues for our readers. Please stay tuned for new developments in the research area of beyond 5G wireless communication technologies, and read the editorials and the articles in the Special Issues.

The introduction of wireless communication technology in nuclear power plants faces challenges, although it can improve productivity and save cable costs. Firstly, wireless communication signals may cause electromagnetic noise interference to existing nuclear power equipment, and radio wave monitoring can lead to information leakage. Secondly, nuclear power plant equipment also generates noise in the working frequency band of wireless equipment, which affects its communication quality. Based on existing standards and test results, this paper discusses strategy about how nuclear power equipment and wireless technologies can coexist, and proposes recommendations to avoid mutual interference.

Considering the increase of communication requirements from marine users, more studies try to introduce terrestrial wireless communication techniques into maritime communications to improve communication qualities. However, different communication scenarios introduce challenges for the application of terrestrial techniques to maritime networks. Furthermore, the communication coverage requirement is much larger than that of terrestrial networks, while the quality of service (QoS) requirement of marine users is expected to be like that on land, which makes network design more complicated. To address these problems, a user-centric communication architecture based on distributed antennas is proposed for maritime communications. The scenario of coastal networks based on cellular techniques is modeled mathematically, based on which the performance of such a network is analyzed and closed-form expressions of network performance are presented. To guarantee the QoS requirements of users, an antenna selection scheme is proposed, which can form a virtual service cloud for a targeted user. In addition, the precondition of the antenna selection scheme is discussed. Simulation results verify the analyses and indicate that the proposed scheme can guarantee the QoS of marine users under different cases.

Humanity's endless pursuit for higher efficiency and perfection has led to the development of many new technologies and to the introduction of innovations in different areas of our life. The industrial sector is logically amongst the largest benefactors of these new technologies and the latest wave of innovations in the sector is something that is generally referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. The possibility for remote access to the manufacturing devices, systems and equipment and the possibility for their interconnection are among of the most significant innovations of Industry 4.0. While the cable connections and communication standards are still the dominating method for connectivity between the individual elements of the industrial and manufacturing machines, in the last decade, the trend is slowly changing. Many new solutions rely the wireless connection technologies and there are even examples of whole industrial systems and manufacturing complexes that are entirely relying on different wireless communication methods. The rapid technological development and the competition to introduce the most recent solutions and technologies in the manufacturing processes has many advantages and can be highly beneficial. Nevertheless, many new technologies and solutions are suffering from specific disadvantages, design flaws and security vulnerabilities, which can be used to cause damage and can lead to system inoperability and financial losses. In this paper we provide a review on the main characteristics of the wireless communication technologies for Industry 4.0 and we discuss some of the security vulnerabilities and issues in the sector. The Introduction section of the paper presents a short overview of each of the industrial revolutions and highlights the main technological differences between them. The second part of the paper is focused on the wireless standards and communication technologies, which are in use in the industrial sector. Our analysis continues with discussion on the security mechanisms for the wireless standards and with highlights on some of their main vulnerabilities and security issues. The paper is then concluded with discussion on the presented topic and with recommendations and advices for the implementation of the different wireless standards in the Industry 4.0 domain.

Wearable nanosensor systems in the form of smart clothing, equipped with wireless communication technology, provides real-time medical data to health professionals for early diagnosis, planning therapeutic intervention, and following up on the effect of planned therapy. Techniques, such as electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), electromyography (EMG) and electrical impedance tomography, are relevant to POC for cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, cancer, and stroke. Intelligent wearable sensor systems with simple installation, minimal maintenance, and user involvement can be the best method for ubiquitous health monitoring. We have been working with a printable organic semiconductor and thin film transistor and have fabricated and tested various biosensors that can measure important physiological signs before and after surgery. Integrated into "smart" fabrics - garments with wireless technology – and independent e-bandaid sensors, nanosensors in tattoos and socks, minimally invasive implantable devices, the sensor systems will be able to monitor a patient's condition in real time and thus provide point-of-care diagnostics to health-care professionals and greater freedom for patients. This talk addresses this emerging area with selected videos of subjects for real time measurements and control cardiac and neurological diseases. Combined with state-of-the-art embedded wireless network devices to communicate with smartphone, laptop or directly to remote server through mobile network (GSM,4G-LTE,GPRS), they can function as wearable wireless health-diagnostic systems that are more intuitive to use.