SK Telecom Establishes Emergency Communication System with Gangwon-do for Large Wildfire Preparedness

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] SK Telecom has signed a business agreement with Gangwon Province to establish an emergency communication system in preparation for large-scale wildfires.

The signing ceremony held at the Gangwon Provincial Office on the 10th was attended by Choi Moon-soon, Governor of Gangwon Province, and Kang Jong-ryeol, SKT Chief Safety and Health Officer (CSPO), among others. Both parties agreed to install TV White Space (TVWS) relay equipment capable of long-distance wireless transmission and small wireless base station equipment on fire trucks to support mobile communication at fire sites.

During large-scale wildfires in Gangwon Province, mobile communication was hindered due to the destruction of mobile base stations, causing some difficulties in emergency rescue and relief activities for wildfire victims. Additionally, safety concerns during firefighting made it difficult to install mobile base stations in disaster areas.

In response, Gangwon Province has been striving to develop technical alternatives for large wildfire situations and, together with SKT, explored ways to establish a mobile phone communication system based on TV White Space frequencies that can operate even in emergencies.

This model, which equips fire trucks with base station equipment and TVWS wireless signal relay equipment to overcome communication disasters in large wildfire areas, is an innovative solution with no known global precedents.

TV White Space frequencies are unused frequency bands regionally allocated between digital TV broadcast channels to prevent interference. They have a long radio wave reach of 10 to 15 km and high permeability, making them suitable for use in large wildfire areas.

SKT plans to conduct quality verification this year for providing mobile phone communication on Gangwon Province’s TV White Space frequencies and will also supply small wireless base station equipment (hereafter referred to as femto equipment). Both parties will sequentially install femto equipment on about 50 fire trucks in six cities and counties in the Yeongdong region, including Sokcho City, and after verifying the technology, they plan to officially provide mobile phone services to rescue workers and wildfire victims by 2024.

SKT and Gangwon Province expect that the newly established emergency communication system will reduce wildfire damage in the Gangwon area and protect the safety of residents, thereby creating social value.

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