An Overview of Recent Changes in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Regarding Maritime Mobile Satellite Service

Abstract

For a long time, Inmarsat satellite system was the only maritime mobile satellite service provider when Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is concerned. This satellite system has diff erent generations of its satellites providing a wide range of services and applications. In 2018, its services related to the GMDSS have migrated to a newer generation of satellites. This satellites' services migration is systematically discussed and analysed in this paper in order to familiarize the readers with its eff ects on the safety of navigation. Furthermore, Inmarsat system announced a new service called Inmarsat Fleet Safety which will incorporate and provide all functional requirements for the GMDSS which are currently provided by Inmarsat-C and Inmarsat Fleet 77 terminals. However, in 2018 a new satellite system called Iridium has been recognized as a mobile satellite communication services provider in the GMDSS. Accordingly, this system and its capabilities are also introduced and briefl y described in this paper. In addition, authors have discussed impacts of the introduction of the new satellite system as a service provider in the GMDSS and addressed several emphasized issues related to this GMDSS modernization. Sažetak Dugo je satelitski sustav Inmarsat bio jedini pružatelj pokretnih satelitskih usluga u pomorstvu kada je u pitanju Svjetski pomorski sustav pogibelji i sigurnosti (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System -GMDSS). Ovaj satelitski sustav ima različite generacije svojih satelita koji pružaju širok spektar usluga i aplikacija. Njegove usluge vezane uz GMDSS 2018. godine preselile su se na noviju generaciju satelita. Migracija ovih satelitskih usluga sustavno se razmatra i analizira u ovom radu kako bi se čitatelji upoznali s njezinim učincima na sigurnost plovidbe. Nadalje, Inmarsat sustav najavio je novu uslugu pod nazivom Inmarsat Fleet Safety, koja će sadržavati i pružiti sve funkcionalne zahtjeve za GMDSS koji se trenutno pružaju Inmarsat-C i Inmarsat Fleet 77 terminalima. Međutim, 2018. godine novi satelitski sustav zvan Iridium prihvaćen je kao pružatelj pokretnih satelitskih komunikacijskih usluga u GMDSS-u. Sukladno s time, ovaj sustav i njegove mogućnosti također se predstavljaju i ukratko opisuju u ovom radu.Osim toga, autori detaljno analiziraju učinke uvođenja novog satelitskog sustava kao davatelja usluga u GMDSS-u te obraćaju pozornost na nekoliko istaknutih pitanja u vezi s ovom modernizacijom GMDSS-a.

GMDSS Equipment Usage: Seafarers’ Experience

“…In terms of its modernization, its successor Navigational Data (NAVDAT), is in the development and testing phase, which will provide additional possibilities for displaying MSI [18]. Besides, the satellite system for receiving MSI, i.e., INMARSAT's EGC SafetyNET, also got its successor EGC SafetyNET II as part of INMARSAT's modernization of GMDSS services [14].…”

“…The INMARSAT-C ship Earth station (SES) has remained on ships to these days as the only satellite communication device to provide GMDSS communication functions (excluding the COSPAS-SARSAT EPIRB, which is intended for ship-to-shore alerting and locating). Until recently (December 2020), INMARSAT Fleet 77 also existed, but like its predecessors, INMARSAT-A and INMARSAT-B, it was discontinued due to new satellite communications systems and services within GMDSS, which provide more features compared to it (Iridium, Inmarsat Fleet Safety) [14]. Given the poor capabilities of the INMARSAT-C device in terms of data rate (600 bps) and store and forward messaging (when high-speed Internet on board is often available), the device is still used on ships, but to a lesser extent.…”

BDS-3 SAR service and initial performance

“…At present, Inmarsat and Iridium are recognized as mobile satellite communication services providers in GMDSS (Valčić et al 2019). Mobile satellite communication systems have more traffic capacity to provide a great deal of safety-related information in search and rescue operations.…”