The report was authored by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) graduate David N. Barraca and Telecommunications Technological Centre of Catalonia (CTTC/Cerca) researcher and Faculty of Computer Science, multimedia, and telecommunications Raúl Parada, researcher Carlos Mondo, and Interdisciplinary Centre for Security Reliability and Trust at the University of Luxembourg researcher Víctor Monzón.

The researchers highlighted the importance of quick response in times of natural calamities and disasters.

“The ability to anticipate and react to an emergency situation is crucial for minimising damage,” the researchers said.

“Climate disasters are the latest additions to an already long list of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis, and emergencies caused by humans, such as wars, accidents and damage to infrastructure.”

“In all of those situations, having a reliable telecommunications system which can be used to exchange information is essential for reacting quickly and on a coordinated basis in situations in which every second counts.”

"Our project provides a solution that means that a communications network to provide help in emergency situations can be established quickly," Monzo explained.

Monzo added the use of nanosatellites offers communication services quickly when it would not otherwise be possible.

“It is especially designed for emergency services, so that they can work in a safer and more coordinated way in complex situations."

The solution proposed by the researchers involves a rapid deployment system consisting of three components—two terrestrial and one non-terrestrial: a CubeSat (a nanosatellite design standard).

The components on the ground are a pilot telecommunications station, deployed at the location where the emergency happens, and a base station.

The CubeSat can connect the two places from anywhere, acting as a repeater and making it possible for users of the network to share information wirelessly.

All three components are equipped with long-range (LoRa) radio technology, and allow for the creation of a vast communications area.

The CubeSat is a small nanosatellite that can be created from scratch using a 3D printer in just 90 minutes, and launched over the disaster area using a hot air balloon.

The route that the balloon will follow can be determined by a prior simulation that takes the characteristics of the balloon and the meteorology of the area into account.

The CubeSat is also equipped with a GPS system that means it can be retrieved and reused.

“Our solution enables communication over long distances, as well as providing a scalable system for a large number of users that is reusable anywhere and at any time," noted Parada.

"We chose CubeSat as for communications in difficult environments due to its speed of deployment and functioning," he said.

"It operates independently of current communication systems, which may be damaged during a disaster, and enables long-range communication."

After the first successful tests, the system will continue to be tested in different environments, and will also be subjected to experiments with an energy system powered by photovoltaic panels, so that the solution can be completely autonomous.

"Our solution is designed to provide a rapid service in complex scenarios, and as such we have prioritized its ease of deployment over its use as a telecommunications solution in normal situations, where other infrastructures would be more suitable," concluded Monzo. "The next step is to work on the services that could be included in this type of infrastructure, minimising deployment times and ensuring it can be used in a wide range of situations."

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 20 November 2023.