A Satellite-Based Communication Channel for the Reliable Distribution of Early Warning 
Messages: The Alert Interface via EGNOS (ALIVE) for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation 
H.P. Plag (1), J. Ventura-Traveset (2), F. Toran (2), A. R. Matur (2)
(1) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and Seismological Laboratory, University of Nevada, 
Reno, NV, USA
(2) ESA EGNOS P.O., European Space Agency, Toulouse Site, France
Those most affected by disasters are often the poor and the socially disadvantaged in developing 
countries as they are the least equipped to cope with the situation. In large regions of the Earth, 
loss of life and capital caused by disasters is increased by the lack of sufficient communication 
infrastructure for warning, preparation and rescue. In these regions, additional robust and widely 
available communication would be of great help. Even in regions with well developed 
communication infrastructure, the communication infrastructure is often affected by disasters, and 
an additional communication load easily leads to saturation of telecommunication networks, thus 
hampering the flow of alert and warning messages to particularly important recipients such as 
other authorities, airports, train stations, harbours, hospitals, air planes, ships, trains, trucks, etc. 
In this context, the availability of an additional, high level, reliable and controlled communication 
channel that is unlikely to be affected by a disaster and that cannot be saturated by too many users 
would be of considerable advantage.
The possibility to use available broadcast capability of the Satellite Based Augmentation Systems 
(SBAS) for the distribution of alert and warning messages as pointed out by Ventura-Traveset et 
al. (2005) provides a unique chance to improve the currently poor communication situation in 
many geographical regions dramatically. The SBAS distribute messages through geostationary 
satellites, and a considerable fraction of the communication capacity is in principle available for 
the distribution of alert, warning and rescue messages. The inherent characteristics of the SBAS 
systems are most appropriate for the distribution of such messages: 
-	The three existing SBAS together provide a global coverage. 
-	SBAS receivers are based on GPS receivers and share the same globally accepted 
standards. Since about two years, nearly all commercially available GPS receivers have 
SBAS capability; so that tens of millions of SBAS receivers are already available. Thus 
SBAS receivers are by far the satellite communication receivers most abundant in the 
world. 
-	SBAS receivers combine the capability of receiving alert messages with the ability to 
determine the location of the receiver; thus globally broadcast messages can be targeted 
to receivers in specific areas only. 
-	The SBAS are designed as safety of life systems and therefore include the necessary 
built-in features to guarantee adequate message broadcast, integrity of messages, 
confirmation of transmission, etc. 
-	SBAS are institutionally controlled, do include security features and are operated for 
safety of life (i.e. all days all hours of the year with Safety of Life operational standards).
The European SBAS EGNOS and the U.S. WAAS are fully implemented. Full operational 
capability of the Japanese MSAS is expected by mid 2006. Therefore, the SBAS solution 
provides a basis for a very timely major improvement of communication capacity for the 
distribution of early warning and other messages for alert and rescue.
The ALIVE interface is currently in the state of a developed concept. In discussion of the concept 
with relevant organizations, considerable interest has been expressed by, for example, the 
European Commission, the UN Integrated Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), and Galileo 
Joint Undertaking (GJU), and the other SBAS systems.