ETSI, producer of globally applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies, through its Technical Committee for Satellite Earth Systems (TC SES) has published new specifications on scenarios for emergency communications during disasters, including the use of satellite networks.
These reports cover two different scenarios: a major earthquake in an urban area and a train crash in the countryside. In the first case emergency responders are spread across a wide area and may use satellite imagery to replace damaged infrastructures. In the second case, responders are more concentrated in a small area, response activities are more homogenous and satellite data is capable of offering a hub to supplement the minimal existing infrastructures.
These disaster management guidelines offer standardized “user” guidelines by using additional communication networks such as satellites and enhance coordination between several agents in charge of disaster response. These reports can be downloaded in PDF format at ETSI's website: earthquake and train accident.
These specifications are the result of two years of research by the Satellite Emergency Communication (SatEC) working group within ETSI's Technical Committee for Satellite Earth Stations and Systems.
