Proximus LLC | Wireless systems and intergation

Cell2Sea is an innovative solution that ensures seamless wireless communication on board ships, even in remote areas of the sea.

Cell2Sea system operates seamlessly across different wireless communication technologies such as GSM, UMTS, and LTE bands. This solution uses satellite backbone to connect the on-board radio access system with the landline switching facilities through the A-interface.

One of the biggest challenges of traditional terrestrial networks is their limited reach, especially in areas such as the open sea. However, Cell2Sea overcomes this limitation by utilizing a combination of satellite and radio technologies. These technologies enable the maritime mobile network to provide extensive coverage over vast areas of the sea.

As a result, passengers and crew members can use their personal cell phones to stay connected while on board the ship. They can also access the Internet with ease. Furthermore, when a ship enters international waters, the personal cell phones automatically switch to the onboard network. This automatic switch ensures that there is no disruption in communication, especially in areas where land-based cellular coverage is weak or not available.

Our completed installations:

The on-board network automatically avoids interference with any nearby land-based networks. When the system detects another licensed terrestrial network with a signal strength better than -100 dBm (threshold level), it switches off automatically. Once the ship moves out of the range of land mobile networks, the system turns on and becomes operational within 3-5 seconds. From the terrestrial network side, the onboard network is seen as one transmitting signal at a level lower than -130 dBm, which can be considered a simple noise level, and therefore does not cause any interference.

The activation and shutdown of on-board transmitting equipment are based on the measurement of nearby terrestrial GSM base station power output. Our integrated automatic control unit, responsible for this function, includes radio modems for measuring input power levels in scanning mode and a software package used to analyze measurement results.

In addition, none of the communications or electronic equipment located on-board the vessel operates in standard wireless frequency bands. This means the Cell2Sea system has little or no impact on the operations of the equipment already existing on-board. With very low RF output power, cellular network equipment is fully EMC-compatible with other electronic devices on-board.