The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is looking for maritime and river authorities interested in a pilot project to test new, cost-effective ways to increase the safety of vessels without the need to invest in costly new equipment.
The project’s objective is to demonstrate the added value of transmitting differential corrections and local integrity checks for satellite navigation data using the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS) via existing Automatic Identification System (AIS) shore stations. In the future this process will also include the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES).
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In addition, the new system will offer a backup to the current IALA DGNSS (differential global navigation satellite system) infrastructure.
The Benefit of EGNOS in Maritime
EGNOS, the European satellite-based augmentation service (SBAS), provides corrections to GPS signals (for example, to compensate for ionosphere delay and clock errors) to increase the accuracy of position information, as well as providing checks on data reliability. EGNOS corrections can be received from geostationary satellites or, when using EDAS, via the Internet.
In areas where EGNOS geo-satellites may not be visible, such as shaded stretches of inland waterways and at high latitudes in the Arctic Circle, EGNOS corrections received from EDAS can be re-transmitted using AIS stations. In the future this re-transmission will also occur over VDES.
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Several studies, including EGNOS Tran, Galewat, Maruse, and Margal, have already demonstrated the feasibility of broadcasting EGNOS corrections via AIS shore-based stations.
Following the pilot project, technical and cost-benefit analyses will be prepared for maritime authorities and end users to show the benefits of EGNOS. The outcomes will also be used to support the IALA eNav Committee in defining the VDES – a necessary step to ensuring it can be used to transmit EGNOS data.
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Want to Partner Up?
The GSA is looking for maritime and river authorities that are interested in collaborating in the pilot project by offering an AIS station for the tests. Those interested should contact market@gsa.europa.eu before 6 April 2015.
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