Emergency airborne 4G comms to aid disaster traffic management

摘要

4G communications can be exceedingly useful for managing traffic in emergency situations such as flood, forest fires or road damage. As well as the normal voice communications, it is also possible to instantly distribute maps, photos, diagrams and videos to all types of first responders and traffic officers. However, in many rural districts there is no 4G network in place and natural disasters may reduce any existing coverage due to damage by floods, fires, earthquakes etc. Allsopp Helikites Ltd is a partner in a new European research project to provide rapid, mobile, airborne, 4G communications over a wide area in the event of an emergency. This paper describes the airborne platform tasked with lifting the 4G base station. The project, called "Aerial Base Stations with Opportunistic Links for Unexpected and Temporary Events" or "ABSOLUTE" for short, is funded within the Seventh Framework Program - Information and Communication Technologies (FP7-ICT) by the European Commission and. The ABSOLUTE project is lead by 'Thales Communications and Security', Paris. There are two parts of the project. Firstly the creation of a practical 4G lightweight base station capable of providing 4G services to anyone within range and also able to interact with the existing 4G networks. Secondly, the provision of a mobile aerial platform capable of being rapidly launched that will lift the ABSOLUTE payload to 1000ft in all weathers. This paper concentrates on the second part of the ABSOLUTE project - the aerial platform and its effect on the range and utility of emergency 4G comms. Helikites are a new type of all weather, high-altitude, tethered aircraft. Helikites are the only stable aerostats in the world that are pushed up by both helium and wind. This means that even compact Helikites can lift useful payloads to great altitude, whilst being weather-survivable. Helikites will provide an inexpensive, all weather and persistent platform for the 4G equipment being developed in the pr- ject. ABSOLUTE Helikite platforms can be deployed from the ground, rooftops, trailers or boats and sent to 1000ft altitude in under one hour. No more than two operators are ever required in all weathers. The high altitude provides excellent over-the-horizon line-of-sight, rapidly creating a vast area of 4G coverage - perfect for provision of emergency communications in the event of a disaster or temporary event. At 1000ft there is radio line-of-site of 45 miles which provides possible coverage over 6,362 square miles. Such a 4G airborne base station will allow anyone with a mobile phone to be connected to the network if required. Thousands of victims will be able to report their circumstances to the emergency services, with their smartphones automatically providing their exact position to first responders. This greatly aids correct planning and deployment by traffic management specialists, the police, and governments. It will help drivers to avoid dangerous or congested areas, allows relatives to contact victims, enables ambulances to reach casualties faster. With a real-time picture of the available road networks, NGO's are able to deploy aid more efficiently.