Maritime Mobile Optical-Propagation Channel Measurements

Abstract

Optical free-space communications (FSO) is an emerging solution to operate very high capacity non-detectable links. The performance of laser communication systems is reduced by random power fluctuations of the received signal. In this paper fade statistics obtained from experimental data were compared with statistical mathematical models and it was found that the log-normal model fits well under a wide range of turbulence conditions. Therefore we investigate in a more practical way the performance of laser transmission in a commercially available mobile communication system. Received power vectors were collected during a ship-to-land communication trial in summer 2008 at the Baltic Sea.

Long-range laser communication terminals: Technically interesting, commercially incalculable

“…With these platforms laser-communication up to the horizon (approx. 24 km) is possible at 100 Mbps and was demonstrated at several trials in 2008 -2010 at the Baltic sea under the support of WTD 71 on the ships Breitgrund, Oker, Kronsort and AK2 and reported in [1].…”