Why Vessels Satellite Tracking Can Be Delayed?

Maritime traffic tracking and satellite tracking can experience a delay, data quality improvement, and capturing all maritime data is one of the leading questions in the maritime IT industry these days. Let’s discuss why the satellite maritime data can be delayed.

1. Hardware Issues in Satellite Maritime Tracking

The S-AIS satellite device must be constantly switched on and emit the signal for the satellite to pick it up. In case there is a hardware malfunction or electricity shortcut on the vessel, it can cause a short blackout of the data received by satellite. Also, a satellite must be in a certain area range from the vessel for it to be able to pick up the signal. All that affects the maritime data collection process.

2. Signal Latency in Satellite Maritime Tracking 

Signal latency is simply the time with which the maritime data can travel from the ship to the satellite and from there on the terrestrial data processing party.

While terrestrial AIS receivers receive data directly from the signal emission station on the vessel with a speed of light, satellite receivers work differently.

When a satellite is in a good distance from the vessel it can pick the signal then it needs to reach a terrestrial receiving station to further ping the data for it to be decoded and stored. This can affect the speed of data transfer and the end-user can experience a delay from a few seconds up to a few minutes as a result of multiple factors of data delay.

3. Weather Correction in Satellite Maritime Tracking 

Severe weather conditions can affect maritime data quality transfer and speed. For example, low dense clouds or a hurricane can affect the maritine data reception.

4. Human Error in Satellite Maritime Tracking

Due to a human error on a vessel, the transmitter can be disconnected or the power source can be damaged as a result the vessel can spend some time without data emission, and therefore the signal will not reach the satellite unit.

5. Maritime Data Quality Improvement

Datalastic constantly works on its maritime data quality improvement for its API web services. We also provide profound developers documentation on maritime API which helps users to set up the data in the best way. We lead by example setting up the high bar for the industry to keep up with the data quality improvement.

Here are some of the ways how Datalastic ensures its maritime API data quality:

1. Datalastic uses maritime API data from a mix of terrestrial and satellite receivers to maximize the data quality

2. Datalastic cross-checks the maritime API data from multiple resources and uses the most valid one

3. Datalastic partners with other maritime information providers to maximize the maritime API data quality

4. Datalastic encrypts its maritime API data in its data warehouse and makes it secure from data breaches.

5. Datalastic conducts maritime API data quality audit on a regular basis.