In an EU-funded project, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and partners have successfully demonstrated an innovative solution to improve the coverage and capacity of high-speed, low-latency 5G services beyond coastal areas. This is a groundbreaking step toward comprehensive maritime connectivity, enhancing communication, safety and passenger experience at sea.
5G technology has transformed communication on land, providing high-speed data transfer and minimal latency. However, delivering these benefits at sea has remained challenging, and connectivity has traditionally been limited to urban coastal regions. To address this challenge, VTT, in collaboration with partners in the 5G-ROUTES project, successfully trialed a so-called multi-hop 5G solution near Turku, Finland, extending 5G coverage up to 10 kilometers offshore.
“This was a groundbreaking multi-hop test of 5G networks in a maritime environment. The project aims to solve the coverage and capacity challenges for data transmission at sea, to allow the creation of new solutions for the passengers and the whole maritime industry,” says Anne Lönnqvist, Research Manager from VTT.
VTT led this demonstration with Vediafi, Cumucore and Airbus, with support from Ericsson, Nokia, Digita, DNA, Telia and Goodmill Systems.
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“These maritime tests were an excellent opportunity to develop new 5G applications and services for the sea cluster. It was great to see that the technology is ready-the next step is to find a commercial implementation model. The recognition and reporting of satellite positioning disturbances and interference were successfully piloted using the 5G test network. The new multi-hop solution also offered a 5G coverage extension for logistics use,” states Lasse Nykänen, Project Director at Vediafi.
Multi-hop setup proved as a critical breakthrough for vessel connectivity
Reliable, high-capacity 5G can greatly enhance vessel operations, increase automation and enrich the onboard passenger experience. The 5G-ROUTES team has combined multiple communication technologies-public 5G networks, ship-to-ship private 5G and satellite communications-into a cohesive system that seamlessly connects vessels even as they move farther from the coastline.
The demonstrated system enables mid-frequency, high-bandwidth 5G connectivity through a multi-hop setup between vessels. The setup utilizes public 5G NSA networks for coastal connectivity, private 5G SA networks for vessel-based communication and satellite connections as a backup for high availability.
SOURCE: PRNewswire