France – SEANET

Overall Scope

Key Information

Runs from: Jan. 2011 – Jan 2014 (36 months)

Website(s): In production

Summary

SEANET project consists in developing ad hoc communication networks dedicated for high data rate ship-to-ship exchanges.

One of the main targets being to provide high data rate Internet to the ships while being on the open sea, different means enabling to interconnect these ad hoc networks to the rest of the world, such as satellite and ship-to shore communications, are considered in addition.

Such a network has to withstand the mobility of the nodes by using mechanisms of dynamic connectivity reconfiguration. Basic range and data rate requirements (30 Nautical Miles, 10Mbps) require the use of relaying functions and smart directional antennas.

Objectives

• Provide high data rate interconnection between ships
• Provide or improve Internet access to ships on the open sea
• Improve safety and support to rescue platforms in case of accidents over seas and oceans

Highlights

A SEANET ad hoc network is based on a dynamic tree-based architecture, in other words a stack of Point-to-MultiPoint clusters which can be reconfigured automatically depending on the plaftforms movements, the incoming or outgoing ships, the density of these ships. The related algorithms have already been tested in a previous program, called RAF, with vehicles in public safety application.

The difficulty in this project is to deal with the expected range. For that purpose, the antenna gains having to be maximum and compatible with a 360° coverage, smart antennas of the FESA (Fast Electronically Steerable Antenna) type have been chosen for both transmission and reception sides. These multi-beams antennas, either in a cylindrical form-factor for a full 360° coverage or in 3 panels covering each 120°, are able to switch from one beam to another one in less than 200ns.

For the case the radio with the FESA antennas has a system gain insufficient for the connection between one source ship and one distant ship, a multi-hops relaying technique comes in additional help. The dynamic tree-based algorithms contain basically this feature.

FESA antenna is able to deal with azimuth coverage, however the movements of the platform have to be compensated by additional means. This is the role of the mechanical stabilizer in charge of pitch and roll attitudes.

Moreover, frequency spectrum, even on the sea, has to be preserved and spectrum efficiency of this type of network is improved through spatial frequency « re-use ». The criteria allowing to decide or not the re-use of a frequency channel are studied within this project.

R&D Scope

SEANET developments include important researches for mobile networks to maintain continuous web connexion. Wireless connexions involve Point to Multi-Points links potentially offering different routes from a single source to the same remote destination.

Mobile Ad-hoc Routing algorithms will then have to be investigated to ensure that information follows the best possible route depending on its QoS level. This type of algorithm in addition to actual Internet services will be an added value for provided services quality and system robustness.

Apart from those items, SEANET system will be fully IP compatible, include standardized QoS protocols, and data encryption to protect users privacy.

Expected Impact

Open sea is still a widely unexplored area for Internet deployments common people with no access to very expensive communication solutions as satellite receiver.

SEANET possible impact is to get rid of this limitation by offering an extended coverage to areas within shore line of sight, and for open sea to drastically enlarge connexion capacities around local spots receiving connexion from Satellite (offshore station, fleets mother ships…).

For public users, the final result to obtain from SEANET outputs is that travels by ferries lines, inter connexion from island to island, and also simple sailing will be able to provide the same comfort as day to day life and connection to the world.

For fishing, transport, or offshore industry, large fleets will also be able to stay connected with their linked premises on the ground, and therefore be able to communicate using mails, VoIP or videos.

Finally all people leaving the ground to sail all over for more or less important duration will be able to keep accurate information about weather evolution, which can be a matter of life and death.

Involved Constituency

SEANET is a collaborative project supported by “Pôle System@tic” and “Pôle mer Bretagne”, and uniting different French university and industrial partners as described below:

University:

• ENIB (Ecole Nationale des Ingénieurs de Brest)#
• Telecom Bretagne

Industry:

• Technopôle Brest Iroise
• ESTAR
• DETI
• SATIMO
• THALES Communications

The project tasks management is shared between the different entities depending on their core activities. THALES Communications FRANCE, as project leader, makes the interface between SEANET consortium and OSEO which is delegated by the founding entities to follow the project evolutions.