IntraCoastal Satellite Communication System

GPS and electronic charts are a powerful combination for maritime navigation. GPS is the first electronic navaid offering accurate all-weather, real-time, continuously updated position fixes with global coverage. Electronic charts provide the ability to view your constantly updated position on your nautical chart, so that you can see where you are, where you've been and where you're going. GPS and electronic chart capabilities combined in a ChartPlotter, however, do not provide bidirectional communication with the rest of the world. This kind of communication cannot be obtained neither by means of GSM networks, because their coverage is limited to a few miles from the coast, nor by geostationary satellites, because usage costs are too high

The ICSCS project aims at developing additional software in a ChartPlotter in order to integrate it with a satellite communication system and to enable it to utilize Internet facilities. Within this project, SyNTHEMA is developing a system to establish a logical communication channel with land stations by using the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology.

With this new software, the nautical users will be able to:

• Send and receive nautical warnings, short messages and e-mails by using the ChartPlotter as a mobile phone or a PC.

• Access relevant information to plan a safe navigation route or to find technical and tourist information related to the destination port. A simple user-friendly interface allows to navigate the Internet, while the real sea navigation is going on.