Use of DAB Satellite for Addressable Alert Delivery

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Use of DAB Satellite for Addressable Alert
Delivery

• Presentation at the Training Workshop on
• Disaster Risk Management in the Information Age
• by
• S.Rangarajan, WorldSpace
• at the World Bank
• October 8-9, 2008

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WorldSpace a snapshot
Solar Powered
Creating a Digital Library
Selectively Addressable Automatic Alerts
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Applications of a DAB satellite e.g., WorldSpace
Data Multicasting

• File Broadcast Services
• Provides for the distribution of files to all
  recipients of a CUG.

• Audio
• Direct delivery of multiple channels of Pre
  recorded/ Live Audio to compact receivers

Data stream transmission Provides the
distribution of data streams to all recipients of
a CUG.
Combined Live Audio Slide Show
(CLASS) Synchronous, live instructor lead
classroom.
Distribution of Emergency Alert
Messages Selectively addressable, secure,
reliable and instantaneous.
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Alert Delivery through WorldSpace

• Covers more than 100 countries with one secure
  uplink
• Can be addressed by country, group, tier or even
  the current location of the receiver
• Delivered with a latency of less than 10 seconds
• Automatically triggers a siren/alarm whether or
  not the receiver in use
• Displays text and automatically switches to audio
  information in local language(s)
• Caters to diverse requirements/infrastructure
  ranging from a sophisticated weather office to a
  fisherman out at sea
• Goes beyond conventional modes of communication
  and supplements/complements other technologies
• Survives most hazardous conditions power
  failures
• Re-used for the daily requirements of the
  community (entertainment, agriculture, health,
  training..)

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Alert Delivery- How it works
Event Sensors
Radio or Land lines
WorldSpace Satellite Uplink CAP format
To AREA Receivers
Warning Centers


Satellite Coverage Area
CAP formatting, Audio in Multiple Languages
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Alert Delivery-Custom Solutions

• Service Options
• Text Only
• Text with Siren
• Text with Shared Audio
• Text with Dedicated Audio
• Alert plus Data Delivery
• Terminal Options (AREA- Addressable Radio for
  Emergency Alerts)
• AREA-C Audio Alerts for Community Deployment
• AREA-M Alerts for the Mobile User
• AREA-A Audio and Data Alerts for the
  Computer-connected User

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AREA-C

• AREA-C is ideal for community deployment
• Immune to loss of main power at the time of the
  alert
• Battery can be recharged by main or solar power
• External siren controlled by a relay that is
  closed by the WorldSpace satellite signal
• Option to connect to Public Address system
• Additional box displays all alert parameters
• Radio plays the remotely selected audio channel
  that carries authentic information

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AREA-M

• AREA-M is meant for mobile users
• A GPS receiver is connected through the external
  box
• The box displays the current location of the
  receiver before the onset of alert
• The alert is triggered only if the current
  location of the receiver is within the alert
  zone defined by the sender
• Can be powered by the vehicle power supply
  without using the external battery
• Ideal for travelers on land and sea

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AREA-A

• AREA-A is a configuration that connects to the
  USB port of a computer
• Supports all audio and data services of
  WorldSpace
• Onset of alert is indicated by a computer
  generated siren
• Displays all the alert parameters (mandatory
• optional)
• Can support audio/data download, even during
• the alert state
• Can support text-to-speech for the alert
• description

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Alert Delivery-Typical Timeline

• Actions at the Alerting end
• Time 535 pm
• Tsunami warning received from NOAA
• 536 pm (1 minute elapsed)
• Confirm the message
• Type out Alert parameters in the CAP format using
  the WorldSpace GUI
• Record a short audio message in the local
  language
• Convert audio file to the required format and FTP
  to WorldSpace server
• 540 pm (5 minutes elapsed)
• Issue the Alert through WorldSpace text channel
• Insert audio in the alert audio channel

• At the Receive point
• Time 541 pm ( 6 minutes elapsed)
• AREA C sounds a siren, displays alert parameters
  and switches the audio to the alert audio
  messaging channel whether or not the radio was
  being used at this time
• AREA-M responds to this alert signal only if its
  current position is inside the alert zone. It
  also displays the text and plays out the alert
  audio channel
• AREA-A uses the computer to provide a more
  comprehensive display of the alert parameters,
  plays the alert audio on the computer and
  optionally generates a siren sound on the
  computer.

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The Implementation Challenge

• New Technology
• Alert Delivery is the responsibility of a
  government agency and usually that agency has no
  role or budget for social development
• Need for coordination among Ministries
• A comparatively large one-time investment if it
  has to scale up to its full potential
• Need owners for the activities at non-alert times
  (which is hopefully most of the time!)
• Continued training of personnel at the hub as
  well as in the communities
• Sustainability and upkeep of the system

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Model in Indonesia-PPP
Satellite Capacity
Commercials
Alert Content
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Stakeholders Indonesia
Re-use Strategy Chosen Datacast for Group of Media Companies
Channel Capacity WorldSpace
Alert Content BMG (Government)
Datacast Content Advertisers
Custodians for Receivers Media companies
Training Upkeep Private Sector Integrator
Hub Operation BMG
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Model in Sri Lanka
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Stakeholders Sri Lanka
Re-use Strategy Chosen Audio channel 24 x 7 for community use
Channel Capacity WorldSpace
Alert Content DMC (Government)
Audio Content Sarvodaya (NGO)
Custodians for Receivers Sarvodaya Village Units
Training Upkeep Sarvodaya
HIH Operation Sarvodaya
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Model in Bangladesh
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Stakeholders Bangladesh
Re-use Strategy Chosen Audio channel 24 x 7 for use in fishing boats (PFZ, Weather etc.)
Channel Capacity WorldSpace
Alert Content DMB (Government)
Audio Content Vista Communications (Private Sector)
Custodians for Receivers Individuals
Training Upkeep Vista Communications
HIH Operation DMB- Trained by Vista and BUET
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In Summary

• The Government Agency responsible for Alert
  Delivery needs local partners
• These partners can be NGOs, Private sector or
  other national organizations (Each country has to
  choose a model that best suits it)
• Non-alert time usage of the system vital not only
  for the economics, but for the local acceptance
  up keep of the system
• If implemented in a large scale, across multiple
  projects and over a long duration, these
  solutions are cost-effective
• Need to bring in regional cooperation and
  inter-operability
• Important to adopt CAP and establish a
  Transmission Hub for all hazards, all media and
  all locations
• One point generation of the alert and multi point
  multiple media dissemination is reliable,
  scalable, sustainable and cost effective.