Advanced hybrid satellite and terrestrial system architecture for emergency mobile communications

Emergency situations require reliable broadband communications systems which are able to transmit relevant information from the disaster site to the decision makers and send feedback to first responders regarding potential dangers or decisions. A key factor in designing a robust communications system with applications to emergency response is the development of a quick, easily deployable and mobile infrastructure, providing voice and data communications, available within the first 24 hours - the most critical phase for crisis operations. In this paper, an advanced hybrid satellite and terrestrial system for emergency mobile communications, that is quickly deployable and dynamically adaptable to disasters of any nature and location, is proposed as a potential solution to the above requirements. The overall architecture is IPv6-based and we present and emphasize the important role of Vehicle Communication Gateways (VCGs) in the system. Thanks to the satellite and wireless interfaces, VCGs are able to connect via satellite the disaster area with the headquarters, to create an inter-vehicular mobile ad-hoc mesh network in the emergency field and to provide connectivity to isolated IPv6 cells. Two types of VCGs are envisaged from a satellite interface point of view, S-UMTS vehicles operating in L or S band and nomadic DVB-RCS vehicles operating in Ku or Ka band.