There is little doubt the recent events in Japan will prompt a thorough review by 1st and 2nd responders as to their level of operational awareness and control in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters; such mega-disasters always do.
This August will mark the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Whether the lessons learned by 1st Responders (Police, Fire, EMS, etc.) have made them better prepared for the next disaster remains to be seen. The consensus, however, of many in the satellite industry is that 2nd Responders (i.e. Utilities and other critical infrastructure such as Oil & Gas) remain extremely vulnerable due to their heavy reliance on terrestrial based communications for daily operational awareness and control of their field personnel and monitored machinery.
The reason for this dire prediction is that most 2nd responders have taken only token measures in addressing the lack of communication that typically occurs in the first 30 days after such a mega-disaster event. In his paper entitled, Hurricane Katrina: Communications & Infrastructure Impacts, Dr. Robert Miller, Senior Research Professor at the National Defense University, states: "The communications failure [after Katrina] severely damaged the control systems—known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems—that manage many other systems and infrastructures. These systems, many of which depend on the Internet, were often put out of business for prolonged periods."
I say token measures because many 2nd responder companies have only purchased a few satellite phones and portable satellite broadband terminals, and simply placed them on the shelf for use on that fateful day.
Companies whose critical infrastructure is vulnerable to these mega-disasters need to integrate satellite and dual mode sat/cell equipment into their regular field operations, SCADA and other machinery telemetry systems for use on a daily basis. I don't suggest ripping out existing systems but rather, blending complimentary systems into the mix. This type of integration would ensure communication with service trucks and field personnel, as well as basic situational awareness of surviving equipment on Day 1 after a disaster. It is important to note that they also offer day-to-day business value during normal operations (thus providing cost justification and returns on such investment).
In the past, many companies avoided making these critical investments based on the perceived high cost of satellite communications. The good news is that the recently concluded Satellite 2011 conference, held in Washington DC, highlighted a broad range of satellite solutions to address a variety of requirements; some of which now priced in the $500 range with equally cost effective service plans to match.
The cost of satellite terminals and airtime can no longer be considered a barrier to hardening our infrastructure against catastrophic events – and the day-to-day benefits and returns that can be realized from implementing such solutions can more than justify their cost. Perhaps now the last remaining obstacle to overcome is the lack of will to perform the work that needs to be done.
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