Cellular Communications in Ocean Waves for Maritime Internet of Things

The rapid advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) and fifth generation and beyond technologies is transforming the marine industry and research. Our understanding of the vast sea that covers 71% of the Earth’s surface is being enhanced by the various ocean sensor networks equipped with effective communication technologies. In this article, we begin with a review of the research and development status-quo of Maritime IoT (MIoT) enabled by multiple wireless communication technologies. Then, we study the impact of sea waves on radio propagation and the communications link quality. Due to the severe attenuation of sea water to radio-frequency electromagnetic wave propagation, large ocean waves can easily block the communication link between a buoy sensor and a cell tower near shore. This article for the first time uses the ocean wave modeling of coastal and oceanic waters to examine the condition of line-of-sight communications. Real wave measurement data parameters are applied in the numerical evaluation of the developed model. Finally, the critical antenna design taking into account the wave impact is numerically studied with implementation solutions proposed, and the system hardware and protocol aspects are discussed.