Tala| Internet on the Ocean

Project Details

The Challenge | Internet on the Ocean

The internet is not easily accessible in many areas of the world, like the Earth’s oceans. Fishermen, sailors, and others have limited data connection with the rest of the world. Although satellite internet is widely available, it is very expensive for a user to implement. Your challenge is to design a low-cost method of delivering internet to people located far away on the ocean.

Fish Net

By integrating off-the-shelf devices and existing WLAN solutions into buoys, stitched together as a mesh network, we can provide fault-tolerant links to feasibly improve offshore internet connectivity while lowering costs.

Maritime internet access has traditionally been served by two technologies: wireless cellular (e.g. mobile data) near shores, and satellite links on the high seas. However, cellular is limited in range while the cost of establishing and maintaining satellite links, not to mention subscription price and exotic gear, is a staggering price to pay for low bandwidth. Satellites themselves are also costly to launch and maintain.

To address this, the team would like to propose a system of low-cost buoys to improve internet access in the maritime sector. By integrating off-the-shelf devices and existing WLAN solutions into buoys, stitched together as a mesh network, we can provide fault-tolerant links to feasibly improve offshore internet connectivity while lowering costs.

Buoys are common floating devices used at sea that are used for a variety of purposes such as weather monitoring, sea condition monitoring, and as a navigational aid. According to the Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMMOPS), there are around 2,000 data buoys currently active globally (from drifting buoys, coastal buoys, fixed platforms). According to the DBCP, in a year, about 1250 is actively maintained to date. Additionally, we could limit expenses by building custom buoys for wireless connection in-house.

Compared to the cost of building, launching, and maintaining satellites (which, on average, costs a few hundred million USD per satellite), the overall cost of the customized buoy is relatively much lower.

[References]

Mesh Network Approach:
Zhou, Ming-Tuo & Hoang, Vinh & Harada, Hiroshi & Shankar, Jaya & Wang, Haiguang & Kong, Peng-Yong & Ang, Chee-Wei & Ge, Yu & Wen, Su. (2013). TRITON: High-speed maritime wireless mesh network. Wireless Communications, IEEE. 20. 134-142. Doi: https://10.1109/MWC.2013.6664484

Designing the buoys:
Meindl, E. A. (1996). Guide to moored buoys and other ocean data acquisition systems. Geneva: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/EO053i007p00694

Designing the communication systems:
Hyoungwon Seo, Jaeyoon Shim, Seongjung Ha, Young-Sik Kim, & Junho Jeong. (2017). Ultra long range LTE ocean coverage solution. 2017 24th International Conference on Telecommunications (ICT). doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/ict.2017.7998246

Cost of Existing Solutions to Wireless Maritime Connectivity:
GlobalCom. (2012, August 2). The Cost of Building and Launching a Satellite. Retrieved October 20, 2019, from https://globalcomsatphone.com/costs/.