Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Communication Networks for the Maritime Internet of Things: Key Technologies, Opportunities, and Challenges

With the rapid development of marine activities, there has been an increasing number of maritime mobile terminals, as well as a growing demand for high-speed and ultra-reliable maritime communications to keep them connected. Traditionally, the maritime Internet of Things (IoT) is enabled by maritime satellites. However, satellites are seriously restricted by their high latency and relatively low data rate. As an alternative, shore & island-based base stations (BSs) can be built to extend the coverage of terrestrial networks using fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and beyond 5G services. Unmanned aerial vehicles can also be exploited to serve as aerial maritime BSs. Despite of all these approaches, there are still open issues for an efficient maritime communication network (MCN). For example, due to the complicated electromagnetic propagation environment, the limited geometrically available BS sites, and rigorous service demands from mission-critical applications, conventional communication and networking theories and methods should be tailored for maritime scenarios. Towards this end, we provide a survey on the demand for maritime communications, the state-of-the-art MCNs, and key technologies for enhancing transmission efficiency, extending network coverage, and provisioning maritime-specific services. Future challenges in developing an environment-aware, service-driven, and integrated satellite-air-ground MCN to be smart enough to utilize external auxiliary information, e.g., sea state and atmosphere conditions, are also discussed

Examining an Information System to Support Maritime Traffic and Commerce: Research Opportunities for the IS Discipline

This paper introduces a comprehensive information system for supporting maritime traffic and commerce and explores the information systems related research opportunities associated with this system. The paper begins by reviewing the existing dominant technologies deployed in the maritime environment: VHF Radio, Radar and GPS. Next, the paper describes a comprehensive system called the Automated Identification Systems (AIS) that is being proposed by the maritime industry, military, government, and The International Maritime Organization. A deployment scenario highlights how such a system could have unintended consequences if not carefully designed and deployed. The paper concludes by briefly examining several information systems related research opportunities surrounding the design and deployment of the AIS. Given that little research is leading the design and deployment of the AIS, and given the critical role the worldwide maritime industry plays in commerce, this paper provides a foundation for others to begin the examination of this important area

ANGOLAN PORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE COMPETITIVENESS IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

Africa has nine transit corridors, two intra-regional corridors and two main east-west corridors. Africa accounts for about 13% of the world´s population and includes 54 countries, of which 38 have coastline access along the continent´s 30,490 Km of coastline and 16 are landlocked. However, 90% of the volume of cargo between Africa and the world is transported by sea, which typifies the importance of port infrastructure in economic development. This research presents a comparative analysis of the port infrastructures in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) based on the weight capacity that the ports support, waiting time for ships in ports, the connection of infrastructure networks, the growth of GDP per capita and the entry of ships in the country during the year by type of cargo. Similarly, determinant factors of port infrastructure management were identified. The objective is to characterize the competitive position of Angolan’s port infrastructure in the SADC context. The results show that Angola’s port infrastructure is not the worst in SADC. However, the lack of good roads and railroads reduce its competitiveness in relation to Namibian and South African port infrastructure. JEL: R40; R41  Article visualizations

A Survey on UAV-Aided Maritime Communications: Deployment Considerations, Applications, and Future Challenges

Maritime activities represent a major domain of economic growth with several emerging maritime Internet of Things use cases, such as smart ports, autonomous navigation, and ocean monitoring systems. The major enabler for this exciting ecosystem is the provision of broadband, low-delay, and reliable wireless coverage to the ever-increasing number of vessels, buoys, platforms, sensors, and actuators. Towards this end, the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in maritime communications introduces an aerial dimension to wireless connectivity going above and beyond current deployments, which are mainly relying on shore-based base stations with limited coverage and satellite links with high latency. Considering the potential of UAV-aided wireless communications, this survey presents the state-of-the-art in UAV-aided maritime communications, which, in general, are based on both conventional optimization and machine-learning-aided approaches. More specifically, relevant UAV-based network architectures are discussed together with the role of their building blocks. Then, physical-layer, resource management, and cloud/edge computing and caching UAV-aided solutions in maritime environments are discussed and grouped based on their performance targets. Moreover, as UAVs are characterized by flexible deployment with high re-positioning capabilities, studies on UAV trajectory optimization for maritime applications are thoroughly discussed. In addition, aiming at shedding light on the current status of real-world deployments, experimental studies on UAV-aided maritime communications are presented and implementation details are given. Finally, several important open issues in the area of UAV-aided maritime communications are given, related to the integration of sixth generation (6G) advancements

Coastal high-frequency radars in the Mediterranean ??? Part 1: Status of operations and a framework for future development

Due to the semi-enclosed nature of the Mediterranean Sea, natural disasters and anthropogenic activities impose stronger pressures on its coastal ecosystems than in any other sea of the world.With the aim of responding adequately to science priorities and societal challenges, littoral waters must be effectively monitored with high-frequency radar (HFR) systems. This land-based remote sensing technology can provide, in near-real time, fine-resolution maps of the surface circulation over broad coastal areas, along with reliable directional wave and wind information. The main goal of this work is to showcase the current status of the Mediterranean HFR network and the future roadmap for orchestrated actions. Ongoing collaborative efforts and recent progress of this regional alliance are not only described but also connected with other European initiatives and global frameworks, highlighting the advantages of this cost-effective instrument for the multi-parameter monitoring of the sea state. Coordinated endeavors between HFR operators from different multi-disciplinary institutions are mandatory to reach a mature stage at both national and regional levels, striving to do the following: (i) harmonize deployment and maintenance practices; (ii) standardize data, metadata, and quality control procedures; (iii) centralize data management, visualization, and access platforms; and (iv) develop practical applications of societal benefit that can be used for strategic planning and informed decision-making in the Mediterranean marine environment. Such fit-for-purpose applications can serve for search and rescue operations, safe vessel navigation, tracking of marine pollutants, the monitoring of extreme events, the investigation of transport processes, and the connectivity between offshore waters and coastal ecosystems. Finally, future prospects within the Mediterranean framework are discussed along with a wealth of socioeconomic, technical, and scientific challenges to be faced during the implementatio