Communication Network Reliability under geographically correlated failures using Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

Abstract

<p>The reliability of networks exposed to large disasters has grasped the research community's attention and has become a critical concern in network studies during the last decade. Looking at the damages caused by recent disasters, with earthquakes top the list of those showing more significant impacts on communication networks, and simultaneously, the least predictable events. This study uses the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis method to estimate the network element state after an earthquake. The approach considers a seismic source model and ground prediction equations to assess the intensity measure for each element according to its location. In the simulation, nodes fail according to the building's fragility curves. Similarly, links fail according to a failure rate estimated based on the intensity measure and the cable's characteristics. We use the source-terminal, and the diameter constrained reliability metrics. The approach goes beyond the graph representation of the network accounting for the seismic risk in the geographical region where the network is embedded. Incorporating the terrain characteristics and the component's robustness into the network performance analysis at an a ordable computational cost.</p>