ITU FORUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF
DECISIONS OF WTSA-08
(Accra, Ghana, 16-17 June 2009)
Emergency Communications Systems:
Nigeria
Bashir Gwandu, PhD, MBA, CEng MIEE, MIEEE
Executive Commissioner (Engineering & Standards)
Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC
BashirGwandu@yahoo.co.uk
Accra, Ghana, 16-17 June 2009
International
Telecommunication
Union

Outline
Introduction
Typical Emergency Situations
Guiding Sections of the Nigerian
Communications Act 2003.
Nigeria’s Plan
The Need for Congestion free Dedicated
Network
Tetra Example
Typical Set-up of Emergency
Communications Facility
Conclusions
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Introduction
The purpose of National Emergency
Communications Plan (NECP) is to promote the ability of emergency response providers and relevant government agencies to continue to communicate in an event of natural and man made disasters and ensure, facilitate, and attain interoperable emergency nationwide.
communications
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Typical Emergency Situations
Crimes (Needing Police Attention)
Health (Accident & Emergencies)
Fire (Fire Services)
Natural and Man-made Disasters
Terrorism
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Typical Emergency Situations-2
Pipeline Explosion Ilado, May 12,
2006.
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What the Law Says
Section 107 (3) The Commission shall, in specific regard to emergency services, take immediate steps upon the commencement of this Act to –
(a) promote and enhance public safety through the use of a particular number which shall be designated as the universal safety and emergency assistance number for telephony services generally; and
(b) encourage and facilitate the prompt deployment throughout Nigeria of a seamless, ubiquitous and reliable end-t o-end infrastructure for emergency communications needs.
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Nigeria’s Plan
NCC proposed to build Emergency
Communications Network Centers in all the thirty-six Nigerian states and
Federal Capital Abuja.
A central Node in each Center will have all the necessary switching and routing facilities for voice and data in an emergency situation to connect to the appropriate response agencies.
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Network Plan
Emergency Communications may require not only the Centers but also a robust dedicated telecommunication network.
Such Network must be free of congestions during peaceful events and also must not be susceptible to congestions during emergency.
An efficient, versatile, easy to maintain, and reliable
Broadband wireless platform, with transmission backup (such as Satellite/Fiber/Microwave) that can also support other security services can be used, but, must be free of congestion under all situations including during emergency.
Going by what happened during London/Madrid bombings,
Private commercial networks were congested within a short time. Such fit falls must be avoided.
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Dedicated Network: Tetra
Trans-European Trunked Radio System
(TETRA) architecture can be use for the emergency Communications.
TETRA is open digital trunk mobile radio standard developed by ETSI since 1995.
The system supports applications such as secure speech / data transfer, fixed image, slow video, etc.
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Tetra Network1
TETRA is a high security technology that inherently includes encryption of voice, data, signaling and user identities. Two encryption mechanisms are defined: 1.
Air interlace encryption, 2. End-to-end encryption.
TETRA provides very fast call set-up time (300 ms), that is crucial for the public safety and emergency services.
Included in TETRA is the advanced group and announcement call features.
Tetra provides for Direct Mode Operation for Communications between Terminals, beyond Network Coverage Area
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Direct Mode Features of Tetra
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Connecting to other Networks
TETRA networks facilitate a range of connections to external networks. A TETRA network can be connected to, for example, public and private telephone networks, different types of data networks as well as large command and control systems. All these networks can be accessed from the mobile terminal.
Pipeline Explosion Ilado, May 12,
2006.
Accra, Ghana, 16-17 June 2009
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Telecommunication
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Emergency Call Taking and Dispatching &
Monitoring
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Critical Emergency Control Rooms
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Typical Equipment Rooms
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Conclusions
Have Discussed
Typical Emergency Situations
What the Nigerian Law Says
Have highlighted the Nigeria’s Plan that is currently underexecution
Have discussed the Need for Congestion free Dedicated
Network for Emergencies services
Discussed the example of Tetra Networks
Have Presented Practical Set-up of Emergency
Communications Facility
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Telecommunication
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BashirGwandu@yahoo.co.uk
International
Union