Ocean-Going Container Tracking – Global Satellite Continuity
Shipping vessels routinely operate well beyond terrestrial cellular range for extended stretches of transit. Containers and high-value assets are stacked on deck or secured deep within steel hulls, creating RF-obstructed environments where direct sky visibility and cellular connectivity are compromised.
Without resilient satellite communication, operators can lose container visibility during the most vulnerable parts of ocean passaged.
As a solution, Iridium Short Burst Data® (SBD®) delivers truly global, pole-to-pole L-band satellite coverage, including open ocean routes with zero terrestrial infrastructure.
Iridium SBD enables:
- Persistent message delivery across open water
- Low-power telemetry optimized for long deployments
- Compact, embedded integration into covert or embedded devices
- Communications independent of cellular network availability
For maritime container tracking, SBD reliably delivers critical GPS positions, environmental sensor readings, and security alerts to monitoring platforms worldwide.
Applied in the field:
The Bloodhound Tracking Device (BTD) offers a unique solution, incorporating Iridium SBD as part of a hybrid communications architecture alongside mesh networking, Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN), and cellular connectivity. BTD units are installed inside containers covertly and can route critical data via nearby devices with better sky access. When cellular service is unavailable at sea, Iridium SBD provides the primary satellite link, maintaining continuous position reporting and supply chain visibility throughout the voyage.
Learn more about MetOcean’s Iridium® satellite connectivity solutions at: https://metocean.com/satellite-iot-and-m2m/
Learn more about the Bloodhound Tracking Device at: https://btdtracker.com/bloodhound-tracking-device/