2012-2016 Fleet Broadband Support Program

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

This multi-year (2012-2016) proposal is for continuation of WHOI?s management of the Fleet Broadband (FBB) Satellite Communication program for up to 70 UNOLS research ships, special platforms, and OOI platforms. The project has been on-going since 2008 and is currently supported by a five year contract from 2010 ? 2014 between WHOI and satellite communication providers Inmarsat, Stratos, and World- Link. Current scope of services include: 102 GB of data per month, voice services, antenna procurement, maintenance and repair and application support, and administration. Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present proposal is under criterion two, providing infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The support of maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.