Keysim Foundation Provides 1TB Of Data To South Worcester Flood Rescue

(MENAFN- Pressat) The KeySIM Foundation has agreed to provide 1,000GB - one terabyte - of mobile data to South Worcester Flood Rescue as the volunteer organisation deploys a new connected situational awareness system.

South Worcester Flood Rescue provides specialist Flood Rescue and Search and Rescue capabilities, with teams able to deploy to incidents outside its immediate area when required.

The organisation is deploying an ATAK-based system across a fleet of donated devices. The system will allow operational teams to share location information and video from the field, providing commanders with a live view of personnel and activity during deployments.

The project involves technology and support from GoTAK, BaseCase and Instant Connect Enterprise, with KeySIM providing the mobile connectivity.

Multi-Network Connectivity for Field Deployments

Search and Rescue teams can operate across rural areas, waterways and flood-affected locations where mobile coverage varies considerably between operators.

South Worcester Flood Rescue therefore required connectivity that was not dependent on a single UK mobile network.

KeySIM's truly unsteered multi-network IoT SIMs provide access to Vodafone, O2, EE and Three in the UK, without imposing a preferred network.

This means compatible equipment can connect using the available networks at the location where it is deployed rather than being restricted to a single mobile operator.

The service also uses sovereign UK breakout, with the mobile data breaking out onto the internet within the UK.

This connectivity will support the transmission of ATAK data, including device locations and video, between personnel in the field and the organisation's command capability.

KeySIM Foundation Allocates 1TB of Data

South Worcester Flood Rescue approached KeySIM after becoming aware of its existing work with York Rescue Boat and other UK Search and Rescue organisations.

Following discussions about the volume of data that could be generated by the new system, particularly through the use of video, the KeySIM Foundation agreed to allocate 1TB of mobile data to the project.

The contribution will allow South Worcester Flood Rescue to operate and evaluate the system without the donated mobile data being charged to the organisation.

Ed Smart MICPEM, Head of IT at South Worcester Flood Rescue, who also works for The Air Ambulance Service, said:

“Our teams can be deployed to incidents in very different locations, so we needed mobile connectivity that wasn't dependent on one particular network.

“The ATAK system will allow us to see the location of our teams and receive information and video from personnel in the field, giving command a much clearer operational picture.

“I'd already seen KeySIM's work with York Rescue Boat and knew they were providing connectivity to other Search and Rescue organisations.

“Having access to the UK mobile networks through one SIM is a good fit for the way our equipment will be used, and the KeySIM Foundation's allocation of 1TB of data means we can make full use of the system, including video, without the data cost falling on the charity.”

Supporting the Deployment

KeySIM already supplies IoT SIM connectivity to a number of Search and Rescue organisations in the UK.

The South Worcester Flood Rescue deployment extends that work into an ATAK-based system where mobile connectivity will be used for both location information and video.

Graham Robinson, Managing Director of KeySIM, said:

“Ed explained exactly what South Worcester Flood Rescue was trying to achieve and why connectivity was an important part of the project.

“Their equipment can be deployed anywhere they're called, and the mobile network with the strongest coverage may be different from one incident to the next. That's a practical use case for an unsteered multi-network SIM.

“Video can also consume significant amounts of data, so through the KeySIM Foundation we've allocated 1TB to the project. That gives South Worcester Flood Rescue the ability to use and test the system properly without having to restrict its use because of mobile data costs.

“We're pleased to be contributing the connectivity alongside the other organisations providing technology and equipment to the project.”

The donated data and KeySIM connectivity will now form part of South Worcester Flood Rescue's wider ATAK deployment as the organisation introduces the new capability across its devices.

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