A comprehensive study of the effects of Oceanic wave-induced movements of a boat on marine wireless backhaul link quality

OceanNet is a Long Range Wi-Fi based system that has been designed to provide internet services for fishermen who venture into the sea for several days together as far as 60 kms and beyond. Internet availability would enable options such as onshore communication (text and calls) using VOIP, localization and tracking of boats & access to all smartphone applications which could range from information related to weather conditions, Potential Fishing Zones etc. which would enrich their business as well as ensure more security to their lives. Several field trials have already been conducted where the Long Range Wi-Fi link range of up to 50 km has been validated. One of the bottlenecks of the OceanNet network is the impact of wave effects on the reliability of the wireless link between the base station and the transceiver equipment on the boat. This work focuses on the experiments conducted by building a prototype that would replicate the pitch and roll movements observed during the field trials, so that in-depth study can be done to quantify the impact of pitch and roll on the received signal strength due to the misalignment between the base station and the antenna on the boat.