Stage 2 - Transmission

Highlights

• Maritime data transmission is divided into two parts: onboard transmission from sensor to a local hub, and ship-to-shore transmission from the vessel to land-based analytical centers
• For onboard options, Zigbee and Bluetooth suit short-range sensor networks, Wi-Fi handles larger data sets, and UWB scores highest by combining range, speed, and low latency, while NFC is essentially useless at this scale
• Ship-to-shore communication relies on low-earth-orbit satellites, and falling satellite costs are making continuous health monitoring of distant vessels increasingly available
• An open question is posed about the maximum acceptable latency between a vital sign deviation and a shore-based decision, which the field has not yet decided, and which limits full system design
• A comparative evaluation from a 2025 review scores five wireless technologies, with UWB leading at 4.6 out of 5, followed by Zigbee at 3.8, Wi-Fi at 3.6, Bluetooth at 3.4, and NFC at 2.2