Designing an efficient communications protocol to deliver alert messages to the population during crisis through GNSS

Abstract

Multi-channel Early Warning Systems are currently used to warn the population at risk and reduce the impact of crisis. Nevertheless, satellite networks, which offer robust and reliable communication solutions during major disaster events, are not yet being fully considered for direct communication to the citizens. The paper will address solutions for the transmission of alert messages to warn/inform the population in risk during crisis through GNSS. The solution proposed is based on a protocol for alert messages that is compatible with the Common Alert Protocol (CAP), but lightweight in comparison with CAP, so that it can be applied over a variety of communication links, i.e. over different communication standards, even in very narrow band channels, such as Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS). The paper will analyse the opportunities and implications of using GNSS to disseminate alert messages to the population and propose the principles for a flexible protocol that allows the translation of CAP messages (XML-based) into a very flexible and lightweight protocol for transmission in very narrow band channels.

Designing an Optimized Alert System Based on Geospatial Location Data

“…Research has also included surveying the impacts of using SMSbased [15] and multicast-based [16] alert systems. Protocols have been evaluated for use for mass public communications [17], but design decisions for message dissemination are not elaborated. Likewise, the social and technical factors of emergency planning have been discussed as equally important, but design implications and methods are not explored [18].…”

Flood Markup Language – A Standards-based Exchange Language for Flood Risk Communication

“…On the one hand, the current alert systems are a little bit bloated that the last-mile transportation can be a big problem (Waidyanatha et al, 2008;Cola et al, 2012). As is OASIS standard, CAP is focusing on exchanging only, but not take into account the delivery abilities to users (Malizia et al, 2010).…”

Design aspects for efficient distribution of alert messages over GNSS

“…Alert messages are in turn forwarded to the alert channel(s), for eventual distribution to the final recipients (population in affected areas and first responders). In more words, alert messages forwarded by the Service Providers and Broadcasters [6] are firstly received by the alerting channel access point and then actually sent out by the corresponding transmission units (e.g., satellite broadcasters). Similarly, SBAS services are also available to the alerting channel by means of dedicated access point, which connect the SBAS system with the rest of the alerting system.…”