Researchers Develop project to be able to access the Internet on the high seas – publico

                 

                         
                     

                         

                 

 
 

There are a wide range of ocean that can begin to be a little less remote, so give yourself terminate the pioneering project worldwide that is involving Portuguese and Norwegians in the effort to make it possible to access more than 100 Internet km from the coast, broadband and low cost.

The project is called BLUECOM + and involves the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), the Sea Portuguese Institute and Atmospheric (IPMA) and its partner the Norwegian consultant MARLO AS. The idea, according to a statement by INESC TEC, is to use technology relatively standardized on land, such as Wi-Fi and 4G, and they facilitate the activities of the so-called Economy Blue, as the exploitation of mineral resources on the ocean floor, monitoring environmental or more traditional activities such as fishing or shipping.

“Given the shortage of broadband communications in the maritime environment and the growing activity in the sea, from our point of view the economic potential of project is very high, “argues Rui Campos, INESC TEC researcher and project coordinator at the statement where does the public presentation of the project. The concept used is based on the use of helium balloons (anchored, for example, on buoys, vessels or wind farms) which will form a “network” broadband operating in frequency bands released by analog television, so . ensure long radio links range

According to Rui Campos the big news of BLUECOM + is based on three components: the exploitation in the marine environment of the frequency bands released by analogue television, the use of balloon combinations helium and parrot act as access points for wireless and high altitude signal repeaters, and access to broadband Internet in remote ocean areas. “The combination of these three components will enable, for example, a user on a vessel 100 km from the coast can access the broadband Internet using your smartphone , without having to make any hardware or software on your device. This is a novelty in the world and an alternative to satellite communications, which are now the only solution available, “explains INESC TEC researcher.

The project, which ends in December 2016, is ultimate goal to build a prototype of wireless communications solution and demonstrate it in the marine environment in the summer of 2016 using two vessels that PEI will act as anchor points of helium balloons.