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www.sea-technology.com May 2015 / st 27 W ith maritime Internet connectivity on board vessels much closer to being the rule rather than the excep- tion, many companies are looking at unique and innovative ways to leverage the transfer of data from sea to shore and vice versa. There are headline applications for high- bandwidth data at sea, of course, with crew and passenger welfare and vessel manage- ment taking much of the limelight. Shipping companies are now able to offer connec- tivity services to crew members that allow them access to social me- dia platforms, email and the Web, almost as if they were at home. They also have the bandwidth to explore and de- ploy highly technical applica- tions, introducing the concept of big data to improve every- thing from fuel consumption to condition-based mainte- nance for primary equipment. In the offshore sector, satcom is also used for intelligent op- erations, where operators are using live sensor data from a well to secure more effcient drilling or transferring large amounts of geological data for experts on land to review. All of these applications require high-bandwidth VSAT services, but if we scale down the bandwidth, the size of the physical equipment and cost of in- stallation/airtime, there is still an amaz- ing amount of innovation going on. Not all maritime satcom applications need more than 1-meter Ku- or C-band VSAT antennas. In fact, a lot can be achieved for little cost with an L-band mobile satellite services (MSS) solution. With compact and low-cost antennas, smaller vessels, lifeboats and buoys can beneft from the data-centric world we live in today. Satcom Under Pressure We hear a lot about big data, but small data can do just as much good in the mari- time and offshore industries. One innova- tive application under trial right now is the use of machine-to-machine (M2M) data on hyperbaric lifeboats. It's a refection of the inherent focus on safety in the diving and offshore industries that a hyperbaric lifeboat has never yet been launched with diver occupants in a live emergency. However, hyperbaric lifeboat manufacturers and data- Small Data: Applications For Scaled-Down Satcom Using Satcom to Connect to Monitoring Networks By Nick Farrell (Top) New, small satcom and tracking devices are enabling innovative appli- cations. This unit measures just 13 by 9 centimeters. (Below) An example of a Hydrosphere marine buoy connected by satcom to shore.