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
WorldSpace: a snapshot
In In Service
Serv
ice
Wide Coverage
Transmission to Audio
Receivers
Solar Powered
Creating a
Digital Library
Selectively
Addressable
Automatic
Alerts
Emergency
Situations
Individual
Village
Classroom
Applications of a DAB satellite: e.g., WorldSpace
Data Multicasting
File Broadcast Services
Audio
•Direct delivery of
multiple channels of Pre
recorded/ Live Audio to
compact receivers
•Provides for the distribution of files
to all recipients of a CUG.
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.
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..)
Alert Delivery- How it works
Event
Sensors
Radio or Land lines
To AREA Receivers
Warning
Centers
CAP
formatting,
Audio in
Multiple
Languages
Satellite
Coverage Area
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
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
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
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
Alert Delivery-Typical Timeline
Actions at the Alerting end
At the Receive point
Time = 5:35 pm
• Tsunami warning received from NOAA
5:36 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
5:40 pm (5 minutes elapsed)
• Issue the Alert through WorldSpace
text channel
• Insert audio in the alert audio channel
Time = 5:41 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.
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
Model in Indonesia-PPP
WorldSpace
Satellite Capacity
Medialinks
(Private Sector)
BMG
(Government)
Alert Content
Commercials
Network of Radio and TV
Broadcasters
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
Model in Sri Lanka
WorldSpace
Addressable Alert &
Related Audio Delivery
Community Audio
Channel
24 x 7
Provide AREA
receivers in Sarvodaya
villages
Sri Lankan Government
(Disaster Management
Agency)
Sarvodaya
Manage the Alert
Service
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
Model in Bangladesh
WorldSpace
Vista Communications
Community Audio
Channel
24 x 7
Addressable Alert &
Related Audio Delivery
Provide AREA
receivers in villages
Bangladesh University of
Engineering & Technology
Bangladesh Government
(Disaster Management Bureau)
Conduct a pilot
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
In Summary
• The Government Agency responsible for Alert Delivery needs local
partners
• These partners can be NGO’s, 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.