According to a report by Phys.org on the 18th, scientists from the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute recently completed the world’s first verification of a marine IoT communication network in a real ocean environment. This system achieves real-time collection of marine data by deploying sensors and communication devices on ships, ports, and marine facilities, and can be widely applied in marine safety management and ecological environment monitoring.
This system can be used to build platforms for collecting marine meteorological, ecological, and environmental data, forming a marine big data system that can be shared with public institutions. Additionally, it provides technical support for navigation equipment, fishing gear monitoring, aquaculture, and management of uninhabited islands, playing an important role in public safety, such as tracking small vessels, locating life jackets, and monitoring floating debris at sea.
The team utilized the 450 MHz public dedicated frequency band designated by the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2023 to construct an independent communication network that integrates base stations, terminals, core networks, and application services. In June of this year, they established a base station at the Odododo Lighthouse in Yeosu and deployed 30 terminal devices at six locations, achieving stable transmission of measured data. In August, the team continued to add a base station at the Marlo Lighthouse in Gunsan and deployed terminal devices at lighthouses in major ports such as Gunsan Port and Busan Port.
During the testing period, stable communication was achieved over 27 kilometers between the Odododo base station and the Gunsan Port dock, while the Marlo base station reached an impressive communication distance of 35 kilometers to the Changxiang Port dock. The connected devices automatically transmitted GPS location, light status, impact detection, and battery level data every three minutes, operating stably and reliably. The 30 navigation devices installed in Yeosu and Gunsan were online simultaneously, and commercial equipment verification showed that the system can support up to a thousand devices connected concurrently.
The team stated that the marine IoT system adopts an independent networking model, optimizing low-power transmission technology specifically for the marine environment, and achieving priority management of messages for secure services. Furthermore, this system can complement existing maritime communication networks, constructing a marine communication system comparable to land coverage density.
The team emphasized that based on this achievement, they plan to build pilot marine IoT networks in the East Sea, West Sea, and South Sea regions starting in 2026, with the goal of achieving nationwide coverage after 2030.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
