Content for  TR 22.848  Word version:  19.0.0

This use case deals with self-organizing, broadband, low latency, connectivity solutions between ships in a fleet. It can apply to different sectors including military, coast guard fleet, or fleet of fishing vessels… in short to any situation where intra-fleet communication and coordination is needed. In this use case, 5G systems are deployed on each ship within a fleet, where each system is a fully autonomous communication network enabling inter-ship and intra-ship communication. All vessels in the fleet eventually form a group of 5G standalone non-public networks connected altogether in an inherently variable topology. An example of such an interconnected group of standalone non-public networks is depicted on the Figure 5.3.1-1 below:

All standalone non-public networks are interconnected together through wireless links, preferably 5G links operating in the same frequency band as the 5G radio links connecting the terminals and the SNPNs (access network). In addition, as the group of interconnected SNPNs can be deployed in operation theatres, or in difficult sea conditions, it is important that its capacity be preserved even in the event of the loss of one or more vessels. Each SNPN in the fleet can both be connected to the other ships through wireless links and offers connectivity in the immediate proximity of the ship where it is deployed. A user on a ship can consume any of the services hosted by the other vessels composing the fleet. This system will finally have the following characteristics:

• Average size of targeted fleets: 5 or 6 ships
• Self-organized group of SNPNs with interconnection links established dynamically and according to the position of the ships in relation to each other's and the quality of the radio links
• Dynamic routing according to the quality of access and interconnection links
• Full-duplex communication between ships
• Mobility of terminals from one ship (one SNPN) to another (another SNPN) without loss of communication
• Differentiated quality of service management
• Very high resilience, the connectivity between the set of SNPNs must remain operational during ship engagements, regardless of sea conditions and number of remaining vessels.
• Performances:
  • 40 km range in line of sight for the interconnection links
  • 1-10 Mbit/s in 5MHz bandwidth
  • Latency << 100ms

User A terminal is loaded with a USIM that is registered to SNPN A. SNPN A has local coverage on-board ship A and SNPN B has coverage on-board ship B. Service B is offered by an application B instantiated on ship B. Application B has 5G connectivity through SNPN B. User A has needed credentials to access service B.

1. User A on-board ship A and attached to the on-board SNPN A establishes a PDU session to access service B.
2. In the process of establishing the PDU session, the 5G system identifies that communication with service B shall be routed from SNPN A to SNPN B through SNPN D to fulfil the quality of service required by service B. The 5G system configures all resources on this path according to service B quality of service requirements.
3. Later on, ships have moved relatively from each other's, based on metrics collected on the wireless interconnection links, the 5G system now identifies that the communication with service B shall be routed through SNPN C. The call is handed over to the new path without the user A even noticing it.
4. Later on, unfortunately, SNPN C is no more available (or goes out of reach) and is replaced by a helicopter embedding an ad hoc SNPN. As part of a discovery process, the new SNPN in the helicopter identifies and authenticates itself to those SNPNs in range. The new route now comprising the SNPN on board the helicopter is evaluated against quality of service requirements and eventually selected by the 5G system for user A PDU session.
5. Meanwhile, while the helicopter is being launched, the 5G system realizes that the communication path using SNPN C is no more available and, as a result, User A communication to service B is reconfigured to the initial communication path through SNPN D. The communication is experiencing quality issues until the communication path is switched over to the one involving the SNPN on board the helicopter.
6. The communication with service B is terminated by user A and all resources used for the communication between SNPN A and SNPN B are released.

User A is attached to SNPN A.

None

[PR 5.3.6-001] [PR 5.3.6-002] [PR 5.3.6-003] [PR 5.3.6-004] [PR 5.3.6-005] [PR 5.3.6-006]