1.Products Description
With the continued growth of global trade and logistics, port operations have expanded significantly, making digitalization and intelligentization the core direction of port development. The large-scale deployment of automated equipment - quay cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, automated guided vehicles, and intelligent control systems - imposes urgent demands on port communication networks for high Bandwidth, high mobility, strong anti-interference capability, and flexible networking. The complex layout of ports, especially nearshore operating areas affected by tides where extensive cabling is infeasible and overhead wiring is prohibited, severely constrains traditional wired network approaches.
Jinan BodaCOM Communication Technology Co., Ltd. (BodaCOM) delivers an Industrial-grade long-distance mobile roaming wireless communication solution for smart port scenarios. The solution supports full port coverage and vessel route coverage across seas, rivers, and lakes - with base station coverage radii of up to 35–50 km. The system supports automatic roaming handover between base stations, ensuring continuous wide-area network coverage along coastlines and river basins and persistent vessel connectivity. The equipment features high mobility, strong security, and anti-interference capability, meeting the stringent requirements of diverse port operational systems.
2.Project Overview
This project addresses the digitalization and intelligentization requirements of smart ports, constructing a broadband wireless communication network covering the entire port area and nearshore waters. Key services carried include:
● Wireless real-time backhaul of operating status data from quay cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, and other port machinery;
● Real-time HD video surveillance transmission from port machinery to ground monitoring centers;
● Low-Latency wireless communication for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and control systems;
● Broadband wireless network access for patrol vessels, workboats, passenger ferries, and other vessels;
● Real-time bidirectional transmission of ferry video surveillance and radar data between vessels and shore;
● Wireless interconnection of intelligent port control systems with front-end actuation equipment.
Smart Port Wireless Network Topology
3. Project Challenges
3.1 Full Port Coverage Challenge
Port areas are vast, encompassing quay fronts, container yards, warehouses, and nearshore waters. Port machinery stands tens of meters tall and is in constant motion, with metal structures causing severe signal obstruction and reflection. Three-dimensional seamless coverage must be achieved in a complex spatial environment.
3.2 Long-Distance Maritime Mobile Roaming
Vessels navigate continuously across seas, rivers, and lakes, requiring base station coverage radii of 35–50 km and high-speed automatic roaming handover between base stations. Sea-surface signal reflection, tidal variations, and severe weather further compound the difficulty of maritime wireless coverage.
3.3 Complex Electromagnetic Interference
Port areas are dense with radar and communication equipment, while the high-power motors and variable-frequency drives of port machinery generate intense electromagnetic interference. Wireless communication equipment must feature robust anti-interference capability and electromagnetic compatibility design.
3.4 Salt-Spray Corrosion and Severe Weather
Nearshore port areas experience high Salt Fog concentrations and humidity, with equipment enduring prolonged exposure to intense UV radiation, typhoons, and rainstorms. Communication equipment must feature IP68-rated protection, Salt Fog corrosion resistance, and wide-temperature operation capability.
4. Solution Design
4.1 Overall Architecture
BodaCOM has designed an integrated wireless communication architecture for smart port scenarios: "Full Port Coverage + Maritime Route Coverage + Vessel Mobile Access."
Full Port Coverage Layer: BodaCOM Industrial-grade wireless base stations are deployed across terminals, yards, and warehouses, utilizing Point-to-MultiPoint (PtMP) networking to wirelessly transmit data from port machinery to the central control room - achieving full-area three-dimensional wireless coverage across the port.
Maritime Route Coverage Layer: Long-distance wireless base stations are deployed at strategic coastal and riverbank locations, with coverage radii of up to 35–50 km. The system supports automatic roaming handover between base stations, ensuring continuous wide-area network coverage along coastlines and river basins.
Vessel Mobile Access Layer: Vessels are equipped with BodaCOM roaming client devices that automatically associate with the optimal base station along the route and perform automatic roaming handover between base stations - ensuring persistent broadband wireless network access throughout the entire voyage.
4.2 Core Equipment Selection
The solution deploys BodaCOM Industrial-grade long-distance mobile roaming wireless communication products with the following key specifications:
● Base station capacity of no less than 100 Mbps, meeting multi-channel HD video and port machinery data concurrent transmission requirements;
● Long-distance coverage capability with base station coverage radii of up to 35–50 km, ensuring route coverage across seas, rivers, and lakes;
● Proprietary fast roaming algorithm enabling automatic roaming handover for vessels and mobile machinery between base stations with uninterrupted communication;
● IP68 Industrial-grade Ingress Protection (IP), Salt Fog and corrosion resistant, high-wind resistant - suitable for long-term operation in harsh nearshore port environments;
● Strong anti-interference capability, maintaining stable and reliable communication links in the complex electromagnetic environment of ports;
● Flexible PtP/PtMP networking to accommodate diverse equipment distribution and service access requirements across port areas;
● VLAN segmentation and Quality of Service (QoS) priority scheduling, ensuring real-time performance and reliability for critical services such as machinery control and video surveillance.
4.3 Network Security Design
The entire network employs WPA2/AES Encryption to secure wireless data transmission, with MAC address filtering and device whitelist management. Mobile terminal IP addresses remain unchanged during base station roaming handovers, making upper-layer control services entirely unaware of handover events. The entire system supports SNMP/Web-based centralized management, enabling operations personnel at the central control room to monitor port-wide network status in real time.
5. Project Advantages
Full-Area 3D Coverage
Three-dimensional coverage encompassing both port land and maritime water areas with base station radii of 35–50 km, supporting seamless access across the entire port and maritime routes.
High-Speed Mobile Roaming
Proprietary fast roaming algorithm enabling automatic, zero-interruption handover for vessels and mobile port machinery between base stations - zero communication disruption, zero Packet Loss.
Industrial-Grade Harsh Environment Resilience
IP68-rated protection, Salt Fog corrosion resistance, and high-wind-resistant design, adapted to the demanding high-salinity, high-humidity environment of nearshore ports.
High-Bandwidth Multi-Service Carriage
100 Mbps+ base station capacity, simultaneously carrying HD video surveillance, port machinery control, vessel communications, and diverse service types.
Flexible Cable-Free Deployment
The fully wireless solution overcomes the challenge of extensive cabling infeasibility in port areas, with flexible networking and short construction cycles.
Intelligent O&M for Cost and Efficiency
Centralized remote management reducing on-site inspection frequency, with digitalized management and control enhancing port operational efficiency and safety management.
6. Application Cases
Case 1: Port Machinery Wireless Transmission Project
BodaCOM, in close collaboration with partners, achieved wireless real-time transmission of port machinery operating status and on-site imagery backhaul for a port facility - successfully meeting all customer requirements.
Port Machinery Wireless Transmission Project
Case 2: Offshore Piling Vessel Wireless Communication Project
Two sets of receiver equipment were installed on the vessel to achieve 360-degree wireless coverage, ensuring 24/7 stable connectivity with the base station and providing reliable communication assurance for offshore piling operations.
Offshore Piling Vessel Wireless Communication Project
Case 3: Ferry Terminal Wireless Transmission Project
With two ferry terminals approximately 4 km apart, the system transmits real-time ferry surveillance footage to the monitoring center while simultaneously delivering radar data from the monitoring center to each ferry - ensuring bidirectional real-time transmission of surveillance and radar data.
Ferry Terminal Wireless Transmission Project
Case 4: Port Machinery Status Data Wireless Backhaul Project
BodaCOM successfully completed a gantry crane wireless transmission project at a port facility. Video surveillance monitors all critical work points, with wireless transmission reliably delivering video data to the ground monitoring center - ensuring normal, safe operation of port machinery.
Port Machinery Status Data Wireless Backhaul Project
Case 5: Port Intelligent Control System Wireless Transmission Project
BodaCOM successfully completed a port intelligent control wireless transmission project, providing a reliable underlying communication platform for automated port operations.
Port Intelligent Control System Wireless Transmission Project
Case 6: Ferry Video Surveillance Wireless Transmission Project
The project transmits ferry video surveillance imagery wirelessly to the shore-based dispatch room, with the crossing distance spanning approximately 5.4 km. Eight channels of HD video per vessel exhibit zero freezing at any position - mid-river or near-shore - with complete real-time image backhaul.
Ferry Video Surveillance Wireless Transmission Project
Case 7: Automated Port Wireless Transmission Project
BodaCOM successfully completed an automated port wireless transmission project, constructing an underlying communication platform using wireless LAN technology - delivering efficient and reliable communication support for automated port operations.
Automated Port Wireless Transmission Project
Case 8: Port Automation Control Project
BodaCOM wireless communication products support high-mobility, high-security, and strong anti-interference wireless networking, meeting the requirements of diverse port operational systems and playing an important role in intelligent port construction.
Port Automation Control Project
Case 9: Port Automation Maintenance Technical Support Project
In response to customer-reported intermittent freezing and Packet Loss with newly added cameras and control data, BodaCOM promptly dispatched technical personnel to the project site for on-site investigation and technical support - efficiently resolving the customer's issues.
Port Automation Maintenance Technical Support Project
Case 10: Port Wireless Networking Project
The wireless communication system serves as the backbone transmission link for the entire system, using Point-to-MultiPoint networking to wirelessly transmit gantry crane data to the central control room - enabling real-time situational awareness and data collection at the control room to ensure safe production.
Port Wireless Networking Project