Operation of National Disaster Safety Communication Network Phase 1... Video and Voice Sharing for Thousands

[Asia Economy Reporter Osangdo] The national disaster safety communication network, which shares videos and photos from disaster sites in real time, has completed the first phase of the central region construction project and will begin its initial operation, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 14th.

According to the Ministry, the establishment of the disaster safety communication network based on 4th generation wireless communication technology (LTE) is the first of its kind in South Korea. The government has been promoting this initiative since the Sewol ferry disaster and decided to start pilot operations with the police earlier this year.

The disaster safety communication network refers to a nationwide unified communication network jointly used by various disaster response agencies to exchange on-site information. Each agency, such as the police, fire department, and local governments, currently uses separate communication networks like very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF) radios, and KT Powertel. The information exchanged has been limited to voice only.

However, with the establishment of the disaster safety communication network using 4th generation wireless communication technology (PS-LTE) dedicated to disaster safety, related agencies can now share multimedia information such as photos and videos through a single communication network.

Communication is conducted via terminals in the form of smartphones or radios. Group calls involving thousands of participants are possible, including police and fire department control rooms, frontline district stations, fire stations, and even police officers and firefighters dispatched to the scene.

On-site situations can be captured in videos or photos and shared in real time. Additionally, if a field agent carrying a terminal loses consciousness, the system has a function to remotely collect voice and video information to assess the situation.

The disaster safety communication network construction project, running from 2018 to 2020, involves a total investment of 1.5 trillion won. It is being carried out in three phases covering the central region, southern region, and metropolitan area. The government has completed the first phase, establishing the central region disaster safety communication network covering Daejeon, Chungcheong, and Gangwon areas.

By August, the southern region network, including nine cities and provinces such as Jeju, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan, and Jeju, will be constructed as the second phase. By the end of the year, the metropolitan area construction project covering Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon will be completed, enabling nationwide service from next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.