Opportunistic usage of the maritime VHF band using a software defined cognitive radio

Worldwide navigation lacks of alternatives to satellite communication links for data services, since legacy MF/HF and VHF systems are mostly narrowband and application-specific. Furthermore, new applications such as electronic navigation, unmanned systems and personal communications require fast data links, which is not currently available at an acceptable cost. The VHF band is the first choice for the majority of maritime communications, but due to its static allocation scheme, its inefficient use is very common.