Yacht 4G Cellular related for the Bahamas and Caribbean region – L.I.M.E. answers regarding 4G … This is very interesting in that they are indicating that they have PRE-PAID (Not Post-Paid as in Contract!) service. That would be a very good thing. Anyone having any actual experience with this in the Bahamas or Caribbean – I would appreciate you dropping me a message or phone call. Thanks, Alan Spicer.

(Note: We have “Unlocked”, as Lime describes, 4G + 3G Cellular Routers [and complete install kits] for Sail and Motor Yachts – available right here on this blog page … including the previously “Unobtainium”, formerly Ericsson branded, L21 4G LTE router.)

http://blog.marinetelecom.net/the-unobtainian-4g-lte-router-router-alone-564-00-shipping-marine-pack-412-00-976-00-shipping/

* unobtainium is any fictional, extremely rare, costly, or impossible material, or (less commonly) device needed to fulfill a given design for a given application. So for our purposes the L21 will be code named the ”Unobtainium 4G Router“. If you would like to have the impossible … it can be shipped to your door … or to your boat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIME_(Cable_%26_Wireless)

Dear Alan,

Thank you for your recent contact with LIME. My name is Noel
and I will be able to help you.

Please accept our apologies for the delay
in responding. In regards to how our roaming service works; access is based on
if we have an agreement in place with your current service provider. Therefore,
if there is no agreement for both voice or data, you will unfortunately have no
access.

It is expected that before you travel; you will make
arrangements with your service provider for roaming and when you reach the
various countries that we operate in, the service will transfer to allow access
to voice or data.

If you choose not to roam with your service provider
whilst in the islands, you may choose to purchase a prepaid SIM from us whilst
you are on island and we will provide you with data plans and settings. This
information would be unique to our SIM cards and allow for data access whilst on
island as long as you have an unlocked device.

Kind Regards

Noel
LIME Customer
Service Team

———————————-

From: “Alan Spicer” communications@marinetelecom.net
Date: 4/3/2013 4:29:49
PM
Subject: Re: The LIME Customer Service Team needs some more information.
Ref: SA374114X

I won’t have my own LIME account … I am a consultant …
I work for a lot of marine vessels that have (or will have) their own account.
The area we are dealing with is the Bahamas and the Caribbean. I hope that is
enough information that you can answer my original question(s). You didn’t quote
my question(s) in your message … so let me know if I need to send that again.
I SEND you customers – by recommending and specifying what those customers need
… and that often involves getting voice and data cellular service
accounts.

———————————–

Dear Alan

Thank you for your recent contact. To allow us to help you
further we need some more information from you.

Please reply to this
email and include your full telephone number including the three digit country
code so that we can identify your LIME account.

We realise you may have
given us the second part of the number but it appears that you did not include
the three digit country code in your contact.  This will help us to direct your
email to the right team that handles correspondence from the country in which
your account is located.

For example if your contact relates to services
in Jamaica, please remember to include 876 in front of the 7 digits of the
telephone number, Cayman Islands prefix 345 etc.

It is important that we
get this additional information as without this we will not be able to help you
with your enquiry.

Yours Sincerely,

LIME Customer Service
Team

————————————————————-

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

communications @ marinetelecom.net

Click image to enlarge … Ericsson MBR L21 (Mobile Broadband Router)

Router alone – $564.00 + Shipping, Marine Pack (+ $412.00) = $976.00 + Shipping.

(Marine Dealers / Installers inquiries are welcomed – quantity discounts are available.)

The brochure with specifications and capabilities is here: 1_1301-FGB1010048_EN_A_PDFV1R1

Available now … Ericsson L21 4G carrier unlocked – LTE … Works on AT&T or capatable LTE networks and works worldwide on GSM 3G, 3G+ (even 2G, 2G+) – upon request we can also provide a complete Marine Package with topside antenna, coax cable and all needed hookup adaptors.

LTE B17 (700 Mhz),/B4 (AWS 1700 Mhz/2100 Mhz),, falls back to HSPA+/GSM/ GPRS/EDGE

Cellular

Interfaces: GSM/HSPA, HSPA+, LTE

Built-in Internal Antennas

External Antenna’s Interface: MCX Connector (Male)

VoIP (requires voip service for the telephone RJ11 jack)

External VoIP Line (Optional)

Codecs: G.711 (μ/A-Law), G.729

Echo Canceller: G.168-2002 (up to 128 msec)

If anyone is interested contact me.

* See http://blog.marinetelecom.net/the-marine-4g-lte-alliance/ page for more information. We tried to get these for a long time.

Did you know it has this? …

The MBR system also features a built-in mini-PBX that includes: Up to 4 VoIP extensions and 1 FXS analogue extension; call routing capabilities; hunt groups and pickup groups; and an online Call Data Record tracker.

(Disclaimer – Just so no one says I am misrepresenting this. Ericsson (USA?) discontinued this product and referred me to the original manufacturer of the product in order to source them – I’m still working on that. Meanwhile I found a source that was sold a stock of L21′s … so I am making them available. These will be new in the box with all accessories and any manuals or CDs that came with them. This in no way means that Ericsson endorses this, supports this, or has anything to do with this.  These units are sold as-new but as-is. No warranty is expressed or implied due to manufacturer dropping support and remaining stock will eventually run out. I do support (limited usage and technical support) equipment that I sell by email and telephone for at least 1 year. If one has an initial failure – dead-on-arrival or not working as in defective at the start I will try to get it replaced if stock remains. This means that I will help you try to get a warranty replacement on a defective product MBR L21 – It does not mean that Alan Spicer inherits the warranty or owes you a refund. After 30 days it will be assumed that it initially worked properly.)

* If you feel uncomfortable with the disclaimer above … you should choose one of our other 4G products.

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

communications @ marinetelecom.net

Peplink Balance 30 with 3 Internet and 4 Local Area connections plugged in

* The bait and swap No, not really The $300 model has 2 Internet inputs (WAN Ports) – but as I say (below) the Balance 30 is a nice choice since it can handle 3 Internet Connections (CAT5 Ethernet type) for $400.00. So you can use the other $1500.00 to to $2500.00 – to take Mrs. Captain or Mrs. Owner out to that nice dinner you have been promising. Or use the money you saved however you want to. Bottom Paint is a term I’ve heard a lot. (Alan says: I think I’ve even been called Bottom Paint.) The functionality on most of the more expensive “Marine Internet Router”‘s you don’t need anyway. Who says Alan Spicer doesn’t try to save yachts money????

Peplink Balance Dashboard – Internet Connections

Onboard sail and motor yachts you have the need for speed and we have that covered with 4G, 3G, and WiFi Internet Connection systems … which brings up the fact that you often have multiple WAN (Internet) connections available, and along with multiple Internet Systems comes the need to be able to manage and switch between them, while maintaining a stable onboard network for important things like printers and (insert your favorite network device like multi-media, scanner, video play, network storage hard drive).

Peplink Balance User Groups

We know from experience that hard switching Internet Routers (changing Internet Connections) from one to another usually causes the onboard LAN – Local Area Network – to go into a confused (not working) state … causing you to reboot wired and wireless computers and other devices. The IP Address range used by one router is not the same as that used by the other … and even if they were – this can STILL happen!

Peplink Balance Group Bandwidth Control

Peplink Balance products provide both the stability of the onboard network and the ease of web browser based control for switching those Internet connections. A single IP Address range is maintained and onboard devices still function – even if there was no working Internet (WAN) connection at all.

You can also use “Internet Load Balancing” to distribute your Internet load across multiple Internet connections (if and when 2 or more are available) to speed things up even more. Say you are in dock or near shore with both WiFi WAN and 3G / 4G WAN available. You can use both (or 3 with appropriate router and availabe working connections) connections to spread your onboard Internet usage load across the available connections.

Also available “Automatic Failover” if a primary Internet source goes down – and a secondary one is available – a Peplink Balance product can automatically switch you over – saving you steps and complexity in doing the switch over yourself.

Peplink Balance products start at around $300.00 (for 2 Internet connections) and a nice middle ground product is the Balance 30 at around $400. These are a lot less expensive to purchase than many other Internet Control Center products on the market. [Most of the need for ISDN and Serial Port MPDS connection control is gone these days - either you wouldn't be switching in your F55 or F77 or you don't use those at all. Most newer systems are CAT5 (Ethernet) based connections anyway.]

* Local installation is available in Southeast Florida areas near Fort Lauderdale – as well as remote consulting by the hour or by flat rate support agreement arrangements.

* If you don’t already have the multiple Internet systems and services available on your vessel – we can help you with that as well – as we handle 3G / 4G Cellular, WiFi Hotspot Sharing, and Satellite Systems as well.

* See also: http://blog.marinetelecom.net/pepwave-max-marine-internet-control/

* http://blog.marinetelecom.net/2013/02/14/yacht-marine-telecom-pepwave-max-br1-embedded-4g-lte-or-world-mode-3g-modem/ – The Pepwave Max HD2 (link just above) is already available with 2 3G built-in modems (run one sim card out and switch to a 2nd one) and the ability to run a 4G USB modem data card, as well as switching in 2 other WAN Internet connection systems … But the Max BR1 available in 2013 will have 4G built-in.

Embedded Modem Connectivity (Pepwave Max BR1) -

- 4G -

Verizon’s 4G LTE
AT&T’s 4G LTE
UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA+
EDGE/GPRS/GSM

* Model’s with capabilities for BR1 -

MAX-BR1-LTE-V-T Verizon
Embedded 4G model supporting Verizon’s 4G LTE network and providing automatic fallback to Verizon 3G as needed.

MAX-BR1-LTE-A-T AT&T
Embedded 4G model supporting AT&T’s 4G LTE network and providing automatic fallback to AT&T 3G as needed.

MAX-BR1-LTE-E-T 4G LTE/HSPA+ (EU)
Embedded 4G model supporting 4G LTE for EU and worldwide GSM carriers Technologies and frequncy bands supported: 4G LTE (800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz); UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA+ (900/2100 MHz); EDGE/GPRS/GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz).

- 3G -

MAX-BR1-T Worldwide
Embedded 3G model supporting the global networks of all mobile carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and worldwide GSM carrier.
Technologies and frequency bands supported: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (800/850/900/1900/2100 MHz); EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz); CDMA 1xRTT/EV-DO (800/1900 MHz).

Contact -
—
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
+1 954 683 3426
communications @ marinetelecom.net

* Both of the (Marine Pack, Marine Package) systems sold for 4G LTE by Alan Spicer Marine Telcom work on the following frequency bands for 4G LTE:

Band 4 (AWS 1700/2100), Band 17 (700) – For U.S. / AT&T GSM/UMTS/HSPA+/LTE Market (see edit below for other countries)

(Edit: There are other models of one of the systems of the two just mentioned. Sorry I primary sell in the U.S. – but guess I should think worldwide as well. There are 4 models altogether – for example one handles 1800 / 2600 Mhz 4G LTE bands. Hope this answers any international question about this post about What Bands.)

* Please look for the following section “We have the following frequency bands ” in the product page: http://blog.marinetelecom.net/marine-package-4g-marine/

* We will do the best we can to provide information on what frequency bands are used in a country … but that doesn’t make us responsible if a travel destination does not use the frequency bands (in the system you chose) for 4G LTE. Our systems both fall back to 3G+, 2G+, 2G if 4G LTE is not available. For example many carriers have called 3G+ 4G. For example in the Bahamas, but also in the U.S. AT&T and T-Mobile have been known to call the high end 3G (3G+ – HSPA+) 4G.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2012/sep/27/btc-targets-early-2013-system-10x-fastehttp://jonesbahamas.com/btc-to-launch-lte-this-year/

“BTC To Launch LTE This Year

Posted on 18 January 2013. by Jones Bahamas

“The LTE is a two-year programme for us. It’s something that we committed to with URCA, our granting of spectrum from us. We are hoping that will come within a particular timeframe certainly within two years but places like Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence will be done by this year.””

* So as usual … like with 3G … the two main islands will get 4G LTE first. The rest of the islands – who knows what … or when.

* Bahamas LTE is in 700 Mhz band:

http://www.urcabahamas.bs/news.php?cmd=view&id=183

“URCA Issues 700 MHz Spectrum License

Thursday August 30th, 2012

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has issued a 700 MHz spectrum license to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC). Issue of a license for the new spectrum bandwidth to Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) is also expected. This follows a competitive evaluation process initiated this past March 23rd, when URCA issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the newly opened 700 MHz spectrum band. A total of five applications were received.

The 700 MHz band, with frequency ranging from 698 MHz to 806 Mhz, is considered an especially valuable fixed and mobile broadband network resource, given its suitability for 4G (Fourth Generation) LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies. URCA made 72 MHz of the 108 MHz band available for this process. Operators were permitted to submit applications for specified blocks within the bandwidth, up to a maximum of 24 MHz, and not including blocks reserved for public health and safety use (12 MHz) and additional mobile services (24 MHz) when BTC’s exclusivity in the mobile market expires in April 2014.

Applications were evaluated on the basis of four core components: applicants’ overall business plan, financial strength, technical capability and the general public interests served by the spectrum’s intended use. Two applications were denied because they did not meet the minimum criteria and one application is pending approvals from other business investment and licensing bodies.”

* PDF Document says the following:

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
URCA Issues 700 MHz Spectrum License
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has issued a 700 MHz1 spectrum license to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC). Issue of a license for the new spectrum bandwidth to Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) is also expected. This follows a competitive evaluation process initiated this past March 23rd, when URCA issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the newly opened 700 MHz spectrum band. A total of five applications were received.
The 700 MHz band, with frequency ranging from 698 MHz to 806 Mhz, is considered an especially valuable fixed and mobile broadband network resource, given its suitability for 4G (Fourth Generation) LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies.

URCA made 72 MHz of the 108 MHz band available for this process. Operators were permitted to submit applications for specified blocks within the bandwidth, up to a maximum of 24 MHz, and not including blocks reserved for public health and safety use (12 MHz) and additional mobile services (24 MHz) when BTC’s exclusivity in the mobile market expires in April 2014.
Applications were evaluated on the basis of four core components: applicants’ overall business plan, financial strength, technical capability and the general public interests served by the spectrum’s intended use. Two applications were denied because they did not meet the minimum criteria and one application is pending approvals from other business investment and licensing bodies.
BTC’s license includes spectrum blocks comprising 24 MHz. The 700 MHz spectrum license is national in scope, including specified roll‐out requirements to ensure that services are made available throughout the majority of The Bahamas.
Specifically, BTC must make 700 MHz spectrum services available to at least 75% of populations in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera within 18 months of the issue date of the license; with improvement to 99% coverage on those islands within 30 months plus the addition of at least two family islands. Subsequent additions of not less than two additional 1 Megahertz islands by both 42‐ and 54‐month milestones are required. In each instance 75% population coverage is the minimum standard.
The spectrum license which was issued on August 13, 2012 is valid for a period of fifteen years.

##

30 August 2012
Media Contact:
A. Gabriella Fraser
Corporate and Consumer Relations Manager
Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority
P. O. Box N 4860
Nassau, The Bahamas
Email: agfraser@urcabahamas.bs
Telephone: (242) 396 5201
Facsimile: (242) 393 0153″

* Another interesting web page:

http://www.rcrwireless.com/americas/20130114/carriers/gsa-counts-13-operators-lte-latin-america-caribbean/

“GSA counts 13 operators with LTE in Latin America, Caribbean

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Roberta Prescott. Tags: Caribbean, GSA, Latin America, LTE

The Global mobile Suppliers Association reported that currently there are 145 operators with commercial LTE services in 66 countries worldwide. Of this number, 13 operators from eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have launched LTE services. Also in the region, 111 operators have launched commercial services using HSPA technology in the region.

Globally, GSA noted that in the last year alone, 97 LTE networks were commercially launched around the world. According to the report. Also, 104 new operators committed over the past year to investing in LTE network deployments, raising the total number of committed operators to 330 in 104 countries.   GSA forecasts that 234 LTE networks will be commercially launched in 83 countries by the end of 2013.   According to the association, the majority of network deployments use the FDD mode of the LTE standard, operating in paired spectrum. The 1800 MHz band (3GPP band 3) has emerged as the dominant band for LTE network deployments in virtually all regions of the world. The 1800 MHz band is likely to remain the prime band for LTE, and a key enabler for international roaming in the foreseeable future. The second most popular band for deploying LTE systems is 2.6 GHz (band 7).   The report stated that 58 operators — 40% of all commercial LTE operators — use the 1800 MHz spectrum either as a single band system or as part of a multi-band deployment in 39 countries. GSA also noted that manufacturers have ensured a wide choice of LTE user devices which can operate in the 1800 MHz spectrum. There are 130 LTE products, almost 1 in 4, that support LTE1800.”

* Having said that … It looks like the Caribbean follows the bands like AT&T in the U.S. (but this is no guarantee of course!)

http://developer.sonymobile.com/2013/01/24/lte-coverage-for-xperia-smartphones/

XVII (17)
704 MHz to 716 MHz

734 MHz to 746 MHz

Lower SMH block B/C

700 MHz

US (AT&T), Caribbean
(phones supported part from this line in the chart was removed HERE.)

**** Anybody having information about Sail and Motor Yacht destinations off the West Coast (U.S.) California, Mexico … as far as 4G LTE bands – I would appreciate any information provided! ****

–

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

communications @ marinetelecom.net

We’ve followed the evolution of cellular technologies especially as it pertains to the marine market – working on sail and motor yachts to provide Internet and Voice Communications options. When I got in this field in early 2004 we were working on Inmarsat satellite systems and providing control (routers) to turn the Internet on and off because they were expensive to use. We also provided onboard networks within yachts using WiFi and Ethernet wired and wireless networking.

But … we kept bumping into cellular gear on boats mainly Fixed Cellular Terminals also called Fixed Wireless Terminals that were used for Voice Telephone. It was a magical thing a box that could connect to an external antenna – link up to the cellular network – and provide an RJ-11 analog (CO – Central Office) input for the yacht PBX system. These boxes also had GPRS and later Edge 2G, 2G+ Internet but it was a PITA to hook it up because it was a 9-pin modem port. Like making a landline modem call for Internet.

This was the Ericssons and Telular boxes …

Now it’s 4G time … According to those that know (3GPP) (ITU-T)

Self Fulfilling Prophecies

Moores Law (Integrated Circuits, Computers) and now Cellular Technologies supposedly run out of gas about every 10 years and are upgraded. I saw that on 3GGP’s web site but can’t seem to find it again now, but I did find:

“3.3. Cellular Communications from 1G to 3G

Mobile systems have seen a change of generation, from first to second to third, every 10 years or so (see Figure 3.3).” on: http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/networking/wireless/9780123750778/an-overview-of-wireless-systems/ch03lev1sec3

Somebody had a chart of the technologies showing the “every 10 years” thing … and they are pretty close to on schedule with 4G LTE in 2012 and 2013.

* 3GPP says this:

http://www.3gpp.org/LTE

“GSM was developed to carry real time services, in a circuit switched manner (in blue in fig.1), with data services only possible over a circuit switched modem connection, with very low data rates. The first step towards an IP based packet switched (in green in fig.1) solution was made with the evolution of GSM to GPRS, using the same air interface and access method, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).

To reach higher data rates and data volume UMTS was developed with a new access network, based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). The access network in UMTS emulates a circuit switched connection for real time services and a packet switched connection for datacom services (in black in fig.1). In UMTS the IP address is allocated to the UE when a datacom service is established and released when the service is released. Incoming datacom services are therefore still relying upon the circuit switched core for paging.

The Evolved Packet System (EPS) is purely IP based. Both real time services and datacom services will be carried by the IP protocol. The IP address is allocated when the mobile is switched on and released when switched off.
The new access solution, LTE, is based on OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) to be able to reach even higher data rates and data volumes. High order modulation (up to 64QAM), large bandwidth (up to 20 MHz) and MIMO transmission in the downlink (up to 4×4) is also a part of the solution. The highest theoretical data rate is 170 Mbps in uplink and with MIMO the rate can be as high as 300 Mbps in the downlink.”

* Anyway … there are lots of technical documents and pages that one could go through , but basically there is LTE and LTE Advanced. The LTE that cellular carriers are on now may not be the final LTE that ITU-T requires to really qualify as 4G.

It is interesting though the evolution from circuit switched to all IP network – but one sticky part about that is the dropping of CS phone calls. For now they are falling back to CS phone calls even with 4G handsets – and 3G + or HSPA+ can do a CS phone call and still allow you to surf the Internet on 4G data. But the final voice technology that is supposed to be implemented is VoLTE – Voice over LTE – which will be the NEW voice for 4G. And they have to beat the “over the top” services like VOIP – Voice over IP to keep their good old income from Minutes (phone calls.) You can’t charge for a Voice Plan if you don’t have Voice Service. That means falling back to 2G (3G emulated CS?) for phone calls until VoLTE is ready and every customer is on it. If that ever happens they could theoretically turn all the older “G”‘s off.

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

communications @ marinetelecom.net