Using TETRA over satellite
for disaster relief in HAITI
Peter Clemons, Director of
Communications, Teltronic
TETRA for Turkey – Ankara Hilton
April 28, 2010
5/5/2010
1
Main themes •
•
•
•
Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT)
VSAT links for TETRA
Haiti – facts & earthquake
TETRA over satellite for disaster relief in Haiti
5/5/2010
2
VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS (VSAT)
5/5/2010
3
Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT):
‰ VSAT networks are private data satellite communications
networks for exchanging information. ‰ Working frequency bands for VSAT technology are: ƒ C: (3,7 ‐ 4,2 GHz & 5,9 ‐ 6,4GHz)
ƒ Ku: (12 ‐ 18 GHz, the most common)
ƒ Ka: (18 ‐ 31GHz)
ƒ Others…
Satélite
VSAT
Equipo
Terrestre
VSAT
‰ Geo‐stationary satellite (35.786 km high).
‰ Low cost terminals. Earth transceivers do not need to track satellites; just point their antennas at a fixed position.
‰ Earth equipment requires small dish antennas, which are normally 1.3m in diameter.
5/5/2010
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
5
5
Qué es VSAT (II)
Types of connections available with VSAT:
‰ Traffic density is normally managed by way of:
ƒ Earth HUB (more common). Delays of approx. 500ms.
ƒ Direct link from VSAT‐VSAT. Delays of approx. 250ms.
VSAT-VSAT
HUB
‰ A range of connections allow different topologies offering
bandwidths ranging from 56Kbps up to 4 Mbps. Some of these are:
ƒ Point to point
ƒ Point to multi‐point (Broadcast)
ƒ Interactive (everyone communicates with everyone else)
5/5/2010
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
6
6
What does a VSAT connection offer the
Public Safety & Emergencies sector?
Possibility of centralised management of communications in
places where no terrestrial links with Nodes exist.
‰ Border posts between countries
‰ Catastrophe scenarios, where existing links have been
destroyed
‰ Military actions
‰ Aid to foreign countries (without own forms of transport)
‰ Forest brigades (Fires, Accidents or Catastrophes)
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
7
VSAT LINKS FOR TETRA
5/5/2010
8
Requirements for interconnection of TETRA system zones via VSAT:
The VSAT link introduces significant delays in communications between the Node and remote zones. This means that system design must take into account:
Remote
Zone
Node
‰ Implementatión of the full TETRA layer 2 in the remote zone
‰ The connection between the remote zone and the Node must be asynchronous ‰ Bandwidth of communications must be optimised
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
9
Asynchronous connection between SCN and SBS:
Due to significant delays (> 500ms) and the non‐synchronous nature of transmissions, the communication between layers 2 and 3 between remote SBSs and the SCN must be asynchronous.
‰ NEBULA is designed to allow asynchronous links.
‰ It has been developed using a distributed packet‐based switching matrix to connect up the different elements of the system
‰ To manage these links, the following mechanisms are necessary:
‰ Management of the Service Quality of the information being transported
‰ Control of jitters between both ends of the synchronous links
‰ Management of the loss and recovery of data sent in packets
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
10
Bandwidth optimisation:
The bandwidth of information to be transported in TETRA is:
TETRA Voice: 7.2 Kbps with 4.56 Kbps of ACELP code
Different methods can be used to transport voice in data communications
networks:
ˆ Circuit data technology networks:
• G.711:
64 Kbps voice communications.
ˆ Ethernet / IP technology networks:
• VoIP (ACELP):
• TUP:
17 Kbps VoIP with RTP & RTCP
12.2 Kbps Ethernet-based
Used in NEBULA
• Compressed TUP: 9.7 Kbps Ethernet-based
TUP Format
VoIP Format
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
11
What links are used in NEBULA over VSAT?
VSAT links can be established in different points of the
NEBULA topology.
LD
REMOTE
SBS
VSAT
link
VSAT
link
SCN
LD
REMOTE
SBS
SBS – SCN links: To connect remote SBSs
SCN – LD links: To connect remote control centres
DID_REP100128
© Teltronic
12
Important considerations for VSAT connections:
It is necessary to configure:
‰
Timing mechanisms in the system to allow transport delays
of over 500ms.
‰
Service Quality of VSAT transport network, to prioritise
NEBULA traffic VOICE communications.
It is necessary to contemplate:
DID_REP100128
‰
Communications will be less fluid, due to response times
above 1 second in Call set‐up and PTTs.
‰
Users must adapt usage habits, due to effects of delays,
both for control signalling and voice communications.
© Teltronic
13
HAITI
5/5/2010
14
5/5/2010
15
Haiti – facts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Population: 10 million (in 27,750 sq.km)
GDP per capita: US$660 (World Bank 2008)
Life expectancy: 61 years
108,000 main lines; 3.2 million mobiles
Poorest nation in Americas
Chronic unemployment; severe deforestation
UN peacekeeping forces; international aid (already before earthquake)
5/5/2010
16
5/5/2010
17
Haiti – earthquake facts
• 7.0 – 7.3 (Richter Scale) earthquake (most intense for 200 years)
• Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 16:53 local time
• Epicentre – 25km to west of capital, Port‐au‐Prince
• 52 aftershocks by January 24
• 3 million people affected (30% of total pop.)
• 100,000 – 230,000 fatalities (impossible to know real figure)
• 300,000 injured & 1m. Homeless
• Immediate international response to the crisis
5/5/2010
18
Using TETRA over satellite
for disaster relief in HAITI
• Venezuelan Govt. responds on morning of Jan. 13 with first aid‐plane
• Aid team sent consisting of doctors, engineers, search + rescue & Civil Protection
• Solution developed by Teltronic allowing TETRA radios to be used by Venezuelan aid team in Port‐au‐Prince
• Transportable BTS sent to Port‐au‐Prince and connected via satellite to SCN in Caracas
• Successful trials conducted, with fluid communications taking place over the link by early February Thank You For Your
Attention
Any questions?
5/5/2010
25