Author: Alberto Campuzano Crevillén
The Maritime sector represents a massive opportunity for the IoT Industry.
Considering that 90% of the world's goods are transported by sea Ocean shipping and shipbuilding - OECD.), where cellular connectivity is unavailable, that makes satellite connectivity is the best possible solution for the implementation of IoT technologies in this industry.
Currently, companies have been able to monitor the location of their vessels using technologies such as the AIS (Automatic Identification System), which doesn’t provide information regarding the status of the vessel or of the goods being shipped.
On the other hand, some other maritime companies have been using satellite connectivity, provided by the traditional satellite operators that are using proprietary technologies and hence, making the final service really expensive.
Sateliot’s offering is set to break down the barriers in the maritime industry:
Customers will not only be able to monitor the location of their goods but they will also be able to know whether these are in good condition or in contrast, if they have suffered from any damage. In that last scenario, an early diagnosis is of great importance allowing end customers to order replacements so that they don’t get out of stock.
Moreover, since current standard NB-IoT devices will be compatible with our constellation and the connectivity cost is the cheapest among all the other satellite operators, we can ensure that fleets will have direct to satellite global coverage at a very low price allowing them to scale the numbers of IoT devices deployed and hence, guaranteeing a higher quality of service and safety to its customers.
Once the ship arrives at the port, the IoT devices will connect automatically to the terrestrial infrastructure as usual, merging both connectivity alternatives in one unique solution.
Among the different IoT use cases that can be implemented in the open sea with our service, the following are included:
- Vessel & Assets tracking: Know the location of the boat and its containers. This is key for logistics and stock monitoring planning, otherwise, customers will not have any kind of information until the vessel arrives at the port.
- Telemetry: Measure key indicators for the proper maintenance of your assets such as temperature, humidity, whether the gate is locked or not, etc. Using IoT Telemetry, companies will be able to have better control of the goods being shipped and hence, save reimbursement costs.
- Boat key indicators: Includes fuel management, engine monitoring or vessel maintenance. Extending the boat's lifespan and saving maintenance costs.
As a conclusion, extending a standard NB-IoT connectivity protocol to space with the most competitive pricing in the market will not only accelerate the digitalization in this sector but will make it accessible to everyone, not only to large merchant shipping companies but also to other customer profiles such as owners of recreational boats, fishing vessels, etc.
About the author: Alberto Campuzano Crevillén is a satellite IoT expert specializing in the IoT applications in the maritime industry. Want to discover more? Contact him by clicking here or drop a line to: alberto.campuzano@sateliot.space
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