[LINK] Is the NBN Ready for Extreme Weather?

[Tom Worthington]

On 06/12/12 15:51, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:

> Should the first question not be "How do we communicate during
> extreme weather events?" ...

If a new communications system is being installed, it is reasonable to 
ask if it is at least as good as the old one.

> TomW ... displays a very narrow technology perspective ...

I prefer "focused" to "narrow". ;-)

> ...  the demand is for a few channels, locally directed, dispersed
> evenly geographically over the whole continent as well as out to sea
>  that can operate in a range of extreme conditions. ...

The public rarely finds themselves out at sea, on their own. Disaster is 
more likely to strike at home, so that is where the communications are 
needed.

> I'd like to see options for emergency communications, tailored to
> local conditions before anyone tries to harden a national
> business/entertainment communications infrastructure that is
> probably nowhere near suitable for emergency conditions. ...

It shows a warped set of priorities if tens of billions of dollars of
national communications infrastructure is designed only for
entertainment, with the protection of life an optional extra. In that
case we might as well have bought Huawei equipment for the NBN. ;-)

Emergency Management Australia publish a Emergency Communications Manual
(Manual 38) as part of the Australian emergency management handbook and
manual series (AEMs). This has some reasonable advice, but unfortunately
the latest edition is from 1998, well before the era of digital
broadcasting, smart phones and the NBN:
http://www.em.gov.au/Documents/Manual38-Communications.pdf

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"Communications are vital in responding to disasters and continuing
efforts are necessary to ensure that equipment and service providers are
responsive to the needs of the public safety agencies. On a number of
occasions, failure of electronic communications has been a major problem
in disaster response. Not only should equipment be serviceable and
reliable, but effective management of communication resources and
information is essential during emergencies and disasters.

Communication networks will be required between organisations and
agencies to ensure proper coordination of preparedness measures and
response operations.

There is also a requirement for community information, which covers
prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR). People must be
aware of hazards they face and how to avoid them, or reduce their
effects. They need to be aware of emergency/disaster management
arrangements in their local area and when a threat emerges they must be
warned of it and advised what to do before and post-impact.

Typical communication measures under the elements of PPRR include the
following:

Prevention/Mitigation:

e. Correct siting of communication assets, ie telephone exchanges,
mobile phone facilities, broadcast stations and major computing
networks. ...".
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-- 
Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards
Legislation

Adjunct Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science,
Australian National University http://cs.anu.edu.au/courses/COMP7310/