Distinguished from the previous generations, a new movement is happening for 5G in 3GPP, i.e. vertical domains started to join 3GPP and requirements from vertical domains have been provided to 3GPP so that 3GPP takes into account requirements from vertical domains as well as requirements from legacy ICT domain to standardize 5G System in 3GPP. Maritime domain, one of 5G vertical domains in 3GPP, started to be considered since 2016 to enable 3GPP systems to play the role of mobile communication platform necessary for the digitalization and mobilization of the maritime domain that bring about the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the maritime businesses as well as maritime safety. Compared to other vertical domains, the maritime domain has the radio communication environment that 3GPP hasn't considered in detail, which means that maritime related issues and features were not in the scope of 3GPP standardization and some of existing 3GPP enabling technologies or solutions are not able to fully support the optimized performances required by the maritime domain in a way that has been guaranteed for on-land communication. In addition, on-board mobile users in a vessel would like to experience the same rich mobile communication services as they enjoy on land. Furthermore, it is of the view that the capacity and rate for data transmission based on legacy maritime radio communication technologies are indeed not enough for e-Navigation described in IMO Strategy Implementation Plan (SIP) or Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), which the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations specialized agency, have been working to provide to ship. Considering that the maritime domain is one of 5G vertical domains that 3GPP take into account in order for 5G to be able to provide enhanced mobile broadband services or massive machine-type communication services etc. everywhere anytime in the world, it is desirable to study use cases and requirements for maritime communication services over 3GPP system so that 3GPP system can be a good candidate of innovative tools to help address the information gap between users on land and users at sea as well as the maritime safety and vessel traffic management etc. that IMO intends to achieve especially in 5G era.

The present document aims to support the maritime communication services between users ashore and at sea or between vessels at sea over 3GPP system that are targeted to improve maritime safety, protect the maritime environment and promote the efficiency of shipping by reducing maritime casualty caused by human error, in particular, involving small ships and fishing vessels. In addition, the outcome of the technical report is expected to narrow the information gap between mobile users on land and shipboard users on vessels at sea by making it possible to provide the mobile broadband services. The document describes use cases and potential requirements for services between shore-based users such as authorities and shipboard users in the maritime radio communication environment over 3GPP system. In addition, it deals with use cases to support Mission Critical Services between authorities on land and authorities at sea (e.g. maritime police) as well as use cases to support the interworking between 3GPP system and the existing/future maritime radio communication system for the seamless service of voice communication and data communication between users ashore and at sea or between vessels at sea. Analysis is also made on which legacy services and requirements from the existing 3GPP system need to be included and which potential requirements need additional work for new functions to support maritime communication services over 3GPP system.

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

• References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
• For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
• For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

This Technical Report introduces use cases and potential requirements to support maritime communication services in maritime communication environment that hasn't been considered in details in 3GPP for the purpose of maritime commercial businesses as well as maritime safety and maritime traffic management over 3GPP system. Clause 5 and clause 6 describe use cases for mobile broadband services and for machine type communication services, respectively to satisfy demands for maritime commercial businesses. Clause 7 describes use cases for maritime safety as well as IMO MSPs to satisfy demands for authorities in maritime domain and clause 8 provides the description of the interworking with satellite access component and VDES. In addition, some considerations are taken in clause 9 in order to enable 3GPP enabling technologies supporting legacy (i.e. pre Rel-16) mobile services to be applicable to maritime areas and to enable 3GPP enabling technologies supporting machine type communication such as eMTC and NB-IoT features that were specified from 3GPP Release 13 onwards and are expected to be specified in 3GPP Release 16 to be applicable to maritime areas. Clause 10 consolidates potential requirements developed in clause 5 to clause 9 and the conclusion and recommendations are described in clause 11.