Alcatel-Lucent completes first stage of National Maritime Safety System modernization project in Poland using IP/MPLS technology

Paris, France, December 03, 2015

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), working as consortium leader together with the consulting and technology multinational company, Indra, has successfully completed the deployment of an IP/MPLS technology-based information, monitoring, management and control system that will enable Poland’s maritime authority to increase operational efficiency and safety at ports and in the Baltic Sea.

The National Maritime Safety System has been developed in cooperation with Poland’s three regional maritime offices (Gdynia, Szczecin and Słupsk) and with the Maritime Search & Rescue Service (SAR). It provides support for monitoring and analysis of maritime traffic, threat warning and national and international maritime safety information and communications, the prevention of accidents and environmental hazards, and the coordination of fast response efforts in emergency situations.

Alcatel-Lucent in cooperation with Indra was responsible for designing the technical project specifications, managing implementation, constructing and modernizing the coast station architecture (including new radar towers), and integrating and implemening all sub-systems and technologies. Alcatel-Lucent and Indra implemented three Vessel Traffic Services systems, while developing and modernizing the maritime authorities existing telecom infrastructure.

Key elements of the project have included the design and modernization of the national network of marine radio communications for maritime offices, based on modern, integrated marine VHF communication systems. The project has also encompassed the construction and implementation of the first stage of the National Network of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Alcatel-Lucent and Indra will also be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the operational system of this project, known as KSMB stage I.

With increasing maritime traffic to Poland, 18 sea ports, a 440 km national maritime border, 68 km of the Szczecin – Świnoujście farwater and 40% of its population living within the sub-basin of the Baltic Sea, the introduction of the new technology is important for Polish economic growth. The Polish Government has invested heavily in its maritime industry, an example of which is the construction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Świnoujście. The new Vessel Traffic Management Services systems and direct monitoring of mission-critical infrastructure based on Alcatel-Lucent technology will improve safety across all shipping ports of entry.

Key Facts :

• Alcatel-Lucent and Indra developed the National Maritime Safety System (within the scope of the National Maritime Safety System project phase I – KSBM Stage 1) to meet the requirements of international standards and the guidelines of the Polish Maritime authorities.
• Alcatel-Lucent delivered the system, which includes Alcatel-Lucent’s IP/MPLS and Microwave technologies – the 7750 Service Router, the 7210 Service Access Switch, the 7705 Service Aggregation Router and the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio – as well as third party technologies.
• The highly available, unified maritime safety management system was developed in cooperation with all concerned maritime administration authorities, including the Ministry of Infrastructure responsible for the Polish maritime administration, as well as the Polish search and rescue forces.

• All systems and subsystems are combined in a new, modernized WAN IP / MPLS network. The KSBM I system comprises:

• VTS traffic control systems (three independent systems integrated into the international SafeSeaNet system),

• four operational VTS centers in Gdynia, Szczecin, Świnoujście and Ustka with stand-alone stations for VTS operators for traffic management,collection and analysis of data and safety monitoring of maritime traffic,
• 8 local monitoring centers with operator consoles connected with VTS centers;
• the radar stations subsystem supplying radar data to VTS systems;
• the CCTV video cameras subsystem,
• the hydro-meteorological stations subsystem,
• the radio direction finder RDF subsystem,
• the marine radio communication VHF subsystem for the Maritime Offices
• the GMDSS system for the SAR,
• a subsystem for the monitoring of equipment and facilities,

• the phone communication system based on IP/MPLS technology.

• The project covers the whole Polish coast and Szczecin - Świnoujście farwater with newly built radar stations and stations for VHF maritime communication. Alcatel-Lucent also modernized and extended the existing technical infrastructure including coastal stations of the Maritime Offices and SAR service buildings.

Quotes :

Jan Młotkowski, Deputy Director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia said :

"Leveraging Alcatel-Lucent’s technologies and expertise we can improve the availability, efficiency and security of maritime transportation around Poland.”

Andrzej Dulka, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent Poland said :

“We are privileged to assist in the transformation of the Polish Maritime Administration into a modern and well equipped service. We had a clear vision, proven technology and expertise that fully met the needs of the Polish Administration. What we have put in place is a highly reliable system that seamlessly integrates legacy systems with new technology to provide Polish Maritime Office with the best available security and monitoring network.”