K Line begins 4G/LTE trial on LNG-fuelled ship

Together they have set up a 4G/LTE field area network for high-speed and secure communications between ship and shore within ports.

K Line said it set up a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) telecommunications routeing network and internet protocol using Nokia’s Digital Transformation (DX) solution on Century Highway Green, a pure car carrier which was completed by Imabari Shipbuilding Group’s Tadotsu Shipyard earlier in March.

“On-site work will be significantly improved using digital technologies when the vessel stays at port in Japan or overseas,” said K Line.

With the 4G/LTE network, crew on Century Highway Green will be able to communicate more smoothly during berthing, as the LNG-fuelled vessel can use coastal 4G or LTE instead of satellite communications.

K Line expects this will “improve work efficiency on board” by enabling maintenance and safety management information to be easily shared. “We would like to accelerate further development and use advanced digital technologies for safe, environmental-friendly, high-quality services to contribute to a sustainable society,” said K Line.

If the 4G/LTE trial is successful, K Line could install the technology on other ships as part of its management plan to accelerate safety, environment and quality initiatives.

“This solution is positioned as DX infrastructure for ships to introduce new advanced digital technologies in the near future,” said the Japanese shipping group.

This installation comes as K Line continues to invest in vessel monitoring technologies and working with a shipping data cloud service.

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Nokia’s onboard communications solution comprises the Nokia 7705 SAR-Hm industrial LTE router, with a Nokia 7705 SAR-8 headend router installed in K Line’s office onshore.

These enable K Line to closely monitor loading and unloading in real time and significantly reduce the time needed for large file exchange during port calls, greatly improving operational efficiency and industrial safety.

All data is protected by network group encryption, protecting MPLS services with minimal overheads and no degradation of LTE link performance.

While this solution has been deployed in other ports, this is the first introduction in Japan.

Vessel communications and fleet optimisation will be discussed during Riviera’s series of virtual conferences and webinars during 2021 - use this link to access more details and register for these events