What is AIS Ship Tracking?
Automatic Identification System, otherwise known as AIS, is a ship tracking system used by various maritime stakeholders around the world. It uses a VHF radio transmission to broadcast the ships location to other ships, VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) stations, terrestrial and satellite receivers. All vessels over 300 gross tons, or any passenger ship, is required by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) to have a working AIS unit operating at all times. What was originally meant to help improve safety efforts on the waterway has turned into an incredibly power tool for small and big businesses alike. To learn more about the history of AIS vessel tracking and how it works, read our blog post What is AIS Tracking and Why is it Important.
