(Source: Maritime Digitalisation & Communications via Richard Cuff)
KNL Networks is building a mesh network of base stations on ships for securely transmitting operational and machinery data to shore
Shortwave radio can be used for data transmissions from ships to shore and between vessels as an alternative, or even complementary, service to satellite communications.
This is a long way from shortwave radio’s use for voice communications at sea, but KNL Networks has developed this technology to generate a data transportation network. It has built a mesh of multiple base stations and terminals on ships to provide a backbone for internet-of-things (IoT) solutions.
The dedicated IoT network is combined with military-grade security, pole-to-pole coverage and affordable pricing to make maritime IoT connections smarter, said KNL Networks chief executive Toni Linden.
He explained to Maritime Digitalisation & Communications that this shortwave radio network does not have the complexity or issues of satellite communications and can be scaled through simple vessel additions. “We have reinvented shortwave radio so that it is fully digital and automatic,” he said.[…]
Considering that most IoT devices are bereft of any security, why is this a good idea?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m eager to see the Short-wave spectrum used in new and novel ways, but this is not what most people might call a good thing.