Setting Technical Requirements for Intra-Ship Maritime Communication Services Over 3GPP Systems
Authors: Chen Xin , Michelson David 
Published: September 2022

The first 3GPP Technical Specification covering service requirements (Stage 1) for the support of maritime communication (MARCOM) over 3GPP systems (TS 22.119) was approved in December 2018 at the TSG SA Plenary meeting in Sorrento. It represents one of several 3GPP initiatives that aim to ensure that future 3GPP/5G systems meet the needs and requirements of a variety of vertical domains and result in a unified communication platform for a broad set of industrial applications. In particular, TS 22.119 has the potential to support both a new wave of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) modernization and broader 5G maritime services.

Despite efforts by 3GPP to engage IALA, IMO, and other groups within the maritime community, much work remains in realising the full potential of this effort. One of the strengths of the 3GPP approach is the manner in which common requirements are re-used by different groups. To this end, wherever possible, the groups will take existing service requirements from 3GPP Stage 1 specifications. Maritime is a good example of this principle, with more general Mission Critical needs covered in other specifications, allowing TS 22.119 to be the deliverable that identifies only specific maritime needs including the service requirements for the support of autonomous shipping and the broader digitalization and mobilization of maritime shipping.

Here, we propose a framework that will help to reveal new and emerging wireless system requirements for 3GPP systems in shipboard environments. In the first phase, we consider a current ship within which current wireless technology is deployed. Such scenarios are characterized by a limited set of use cases, a brute-force approach to design and deployment, a disconnect between the reference environments for which the wireless technology was developed, and the new operating environment. The result is suboptimal performance with glaring deficiencies. To a large extent, this is where we are today as technologies such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and Bluetooth are deployed aboard ship.

In the second phase, airlink and radio resource management are modified to meet the needs of the new operating environment. Different service level requirements are identified, and more ambitious applications are deployed. At this stage, the primary impact is on shipboard operations with relatively little impact on ship design. To a large extent, this reflects the majority of current forward looking thinking concerning the application of wireless technology aboard ship today.

In the third phase, ship design & construction are modified, subtly or otherwise, to account for both the nature of wireless propagation and the implications of the enhanced connectivity. In some cases, this may include lessons learned that allow crew sizes to be reduced, perhaps dramatically, in light of significant increases in the depth and sophistication of shipboard automation.

We believe that this approach is well suited to bridging the gaps between wireless developers, naval architects, and standards developers, and contribute to the long-term success of efforts such as TS 22.119.