Marine applications of cellular phones

The short history of the cellular telephone has been dominated by its application in automobiles. The technology was devised, however, as a medium for mobile communications, where the term "mobile" may be broadly defined to cover many non-wired applications. One such potential application is to the marine environment. This paper will discuss AT&T Bell Laboratories work on a number of factors which relate to the application of cellular technology to users who happen to be on large bodies of water. The key factors considered include the following: * Market segmentation * Quality of service over water * Design requirements on marine subscriber units * Installation considerations.