Core Infrastructure Technology for e-Navigation

ETRI developed a high-tech telecommunications system to exchange text messages and
navigation safety information with vessels sailing 100km away, even without using a satellite.
Compared to the existing automatic identification system(AIS), this new technology offers eight times faster speed at 76.8kbps.
It has thus far been difficult to transfer a variety of safety information due to the absence of digital telecommunications on the sea.
In particular, the AIS currently in use is not able to provide one-to-one communication since it is mainly used to unilaterally broadcast navigation information.
The newly developed technology was successfully demonstrated as one of the world’s first maritime VHF-band telecommunications systems.
This system can also be utilized for a range of data communication between vessels sailing on the sea,
or between sailing vessels and the land—particularly for text-message communication in the Korean language,
exchange of various navigation information, reporting and notifying risk information, and transmission of the latest climate data.

World’s Top Technology with Eight Times Faster Data Transmission

This project was jointly developed by GMT and Asia Pacific Satellite Communications, through the ‘creative economy vitamin project’ sponsored by
the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, with collaboration involving the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
For the year-long research and development process, four patents were applied for inside and outside Korea and two papers were published.
This digital communications system enables vessels sailing within 100km from the seashore to provide and
exchange a variety of information and features one-to-one communication and reinforced security functions.

Various Data Communication

At the end of 2014, this technology was successfully demonstrated for the seaway between Mokpo and Jeju,
at the global e-navigation test bed being established at the Korea Research Institute of Ships and
Ocean Engineering based on an R&D project sponsored by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
“Korea has become a country that holds top-notch technology for both land and
maritime telecommunications,” said Dr. Kim Dae-ho of ETRI, who is in charge of this research.
“Korea is planning to dominate the world’s maritime digital telecommunications market based on swift commercialization.”
The researchers are working to develop VHF-based data exchange systems in addition
to ASM 2.0 and commercialize the completed system by 2017.