Egatel, Alén Space and Gradiant develop a solution to digitalise naval communications
Egatel leads a consortium with the pioneer company in space solutions, Alén Space, and the Galicia Technology and Telecommunications Centre Gradiant, to develop an innovative solution to digitalise communications in the marine industry using the VDES standard (VHF Data Exchange System). The new VDES standard will represent a digital revolution in maritime communications and will open the door to new uses, such as e-navigation, while increasing crew safety. Soon, VDES will replace the current and saturated AIS (Automatic Identification System).
The system, developed within the SHIPMATE project (Satellite Hybrid Information Protocol for Maritime Telecommunications), will allow vessels to send ashore information about their activity, their crew, and the state they are in, in addition to their position, heading and speed. All this information will be encrypted so only authorised operators will have