Wireless Infrastructure over Satellite for Emergency Communications

Informazioni relative al progetto

WISECOM

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 034673

Progetto chiuso

Data di avvio 15 Settembre 2006

Data di completamento 14 Giugno 2008

Finanziato da

• Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Costo totale € 2 525 227,50

Contributo UE € 1 277 000,00

Coordinato da

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV
Germany

Exploitable results

Telecommunication system for disaster sites

The WISECOM project aims at defining the reference architecture of a complete target emergency telecommunication solution, also called WISECOM system, to replace the traditional use of satellite phones and of heavy and cumbersome devices. A prototype, the WISECOM demonstrator, representative of the critical features of this WISECOM system is then developed, tested, and validated in the project. Thus WISECOM project can be split in two main phases; the first one aims at the indepth analysis and design of the reference architecture of the WISECOM system, together with the definition of a suitably general business model, whereas the second one is focused on the development and test of a WISECOM demonstrator, validating the key features of the previously defined WISECOM system. Relying upon the wide experience of its members, the WISECOM team has initially investigated topics ranging from the classical management of a disaster situation to licensing and regulatory issues for emergency telecommunications. This has made the WISECOM team aware of the necessity of having a lightweight, robust, easily deployable and operable telecommunication system restoring quickly and transparently a local coverage with the most common wireless communication standards, so that highly stressed victims and members of rescue teams can use their own well-known, personal telecommunication devices to access the provided telecommunication services. Based upon these preliminary studies, an important part of the initial work has been focused on the definition of a reference architecture for the WISECOM system, which was specified from the highest level to the most detailed one. The definition of the reference architecture for the WISECOM system has been initiated by the expression of a wide set of requirements (user, service and system requirements) that should be fulfilled by the WISECOM system. The architecture is based on a modular approach where several access and transport solutions can be supported. Two main segments are defined in WISECOM: the On-Disaster Site Segment encompassing the User-terminal Domain, the Local Access Domain, the WISECOM Client Domain and the group of network elements responsible for the access to the transport domain from the disaster area (satellite terminals, wireless terminals, etc) the Disaster-Safe Segment consisting of the group of network elements responsible for the access and control of the transport domain, the WISECOM Server / Operator Domain, the Public Networks Domain and the Home Networks Domain. The interface between the two segments is provided by the Transport Domain. Nevertheless, part of the network elements of the Transport Domain is located in the On-Disaster Site Segment whereas another part is located in the Disaster-Safe Segment. In the On-Disaster Site Segment, the WAT (WISECOM Access Terminal) has been identified as the critical device for emergency telecommunication. The WAT is the devices which will be carried to the place of the disaster, and so it should be light and small as a suitcase, resistant to shock, water, humidity, dust, heating etc. The telecommunication applications, provided by the WISECOM system, should range from classical voice services to the transfer of data and Location Based Services (LBS); they have been extensively described in this first project period. Looking at the current reality of emergency communications it is easy to conclude that satellites are a fundamental element which has to be considered in this area, but their integration with terrestrial technologies is needed. The WISECOM project proposes a solution which includes the existing state of the art, which is easily to be upgraded with new upcoming technologies, and which, at the same time, is general enough to accommodate the complex business interactions between rescue teams and different service providers.