One of the most important ways that seafaring personnel keep in touch with land is through satellite communications. All boats and other vessels that head out to see are equipped with a marine terminal. This terminal links up with extraterrestrial receivers and routers; these satellites are in orbit, and they’re constantly sending and receiving data and communications packets. The seas are growing more and more crowded; more and more of our products and goods are being shipped by sea, with freight ships being capable of much faster speeds. This has only increased the need and necessity for marine terminal satellite phones and other workstations.
Communication isn’t just critical to coordinating your activities while out at sea, but is also a means for offering help to vessels that might need assistance. This is very similar to the social conditions of truckers that have to haul freight over long stretches of snow saddled tracks. In those situations, you rely on the same technologies that are involved in marine satellite communications. You often rely on satellites because setting up a land based network would simply be too expensive. And of course, at sea, a terrestrial option is fairly close to impossible. (more…)