RESUMEN
This paper provides a study of the different alternatives that are being considered in the 5G-ROUTES project to establish seamless 5G connectivity in a maritime environment both from an architectural point of view and also from the definition of field trials to evaluate the performance and dependability of the proposed solution. As expected, the main challenge in providing 5G connectivity on the sea is to provide coverage over large areas of open water. Thus, as a starting point, this paper presents a measurement campaign that was conducted to assess the current coverage in the Baltic Sea, which concluded that the current terrestrial networks cannot guarantee sufficient coverage. Next, the solution architecture and trials proposed by 5G-ROUTES are described, which are based on the integration of satellite and leading-edge multi-hop connectivity in 5G networks. Utilizing satellite backhaul can potentially overcome the connectivity challenge from the terrestrial domain to the maritime domain, while multi-hop connectivity ensures that coverage is extended among the different ships that are navigating the sea. Furthermore, this paper describes how the project will evaluate, in field trials tailored to this maritime environment, common connectivity key performance indicators (KPIs) such as latency, throughput, availability and reliability. This paper concludes by providing a vision for applying the obtained results and insights to maritime transportation and other remote areas where the deployment of a suitable 5G infrastructure may be challenging or costly. The findings will be used to guide the design of future 5G networks for marine applications and to identify the most effective methods for providing secure and dependable communication in a maritime setting.
RESUMEN
A container shipping network connects coastal countries with each other and facilitates most of the world merchandise trade. Reliable maritime connectivity ensures the availability of commodities and economic growth. The global spread of COVID-19 has led to port failures and service cancellations, resulting in decreased connectivity level of container ports. To mitigate the impact of the pandemic, a graph theory approach is proposed to strength the container shipping network connectivity by considering topology and the possibility of opening new shipping links between ports. It is designed to maximize network connectivity with limited addable routes. The network connectivity is measured by algebraic connectivity, and the possibility of opening new shipping links is estimated by an extended gravity model. A heuristic algorithm based on Fiedler vector is introduced to obtain the optimal solutions. The performance of the proposed model and algorithm are verified by testing on a real-world container shipping network based on the Alphaliner database. Experimental results illustrate that the presented model is efficient and effective for strengthening the connectivity. Policy makers can refer to the suggested optimal shipping links to facilitate better shipping network connectivity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.