The challenge
Founded in 2009 by the National Research Foundation, Ministry of Education and NTU, The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) was set up to conduct research on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami and climate change to tackle the devastating effects these events have in Southeast Asia.
The solution
BGAN supports remote data transmission with guaranteed data rates on demand of up to 492kbps over shared channels. It is an ‘always-on’ service where you only pay for the amount of data you send and receive, and can be accessed remotely from a central location.
To improve forecasting mechanisms of earthquakes and tsunamis more reliably, The EOS Technical Office took up the task to revive Sumatran GPS Array (SuGAr), earlier set up by California Institute of Technology (CalTech), to collect, process, analyse and archive data on tectonic plate movements in the region.
Real-time access to critical data for remote monitoring
Inmarsat offers the broadest portfolio of global broadband, machine-to-machine (M2M) and voice satellite services. Our ground network and satellites operates with an average availability of 99.9%, so whatever enterprise or governmental organisation you work in, you can depend on Inmarsat’s connectivity, wherever your operations are based. Our portfolio of services is accessed via a variety of portable, vehicular and fixed terminals that are rugged enough to withstand challenging environments and extremes of temperature.
BGAN supports remote data transmission with guaranteed data rates on demand of up to 492kbps over shared channels. It is an ‘always-on’ service where you only pay for the amount of data you send and receive, and can be accessed remotely from a central location.
SingTel partnership
To access BGAN, there were a variety of terminals to consider that suit different operational needs and EOS teamed up with SingTel, an Inmarsat global distribution partner, to trial the service using AddValue’s 1.6kg, single-user Wideye Sabre 1 terminal – a robust, highly-portable and compact solution with cost-effective voice and high-speed data transmission of up to 240/384kbps (send/receive).
Besides transmitting data collected at its GPS permanent stations, BGAN also helped to monitor the working condition of the GPS receivers and to inform EOS of the electrical health of the power system’s charge controller. In addition, EOS remotely connect twice daily to the monitoring stations via BGAN to check the status of its instruments. During periods where there are no earthquakes, EOS connects once in five days to download the data collected
“With Inmarsat technology, we can now download the data across all our GPS stations remotely. This saves up to S$50,000 per trip – valuable funding we can plough back to our critical research work.”
Dr Paramesh Banerjee
Technical Director, EOS
BGAN proves its worth
Barely four months after going live, EOS’s BGAN implementation was put to the test when a powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia on April 11, 2012. Dr Banerjee shared, “The April 11 Aceh earthquake marks the first time EOS could completely rely on Inmarsat and SingTel’s solution to transmit the critical data captured across SuGAr. We were able to begin analysing the earthquake data as early as 12 hours after the quake occurred, which enhanced our understanding of the earthquake process in greater details. This increased our effectiveness and responsiveness.”
Cost-savings with BGAN
“With Inmarsat technology, we can now immediately download the data across all our GPS stations remotely. This saves up to S$50,000 per trip – valuable funding we can plough back to our critical research work,” said Dr Banerjee. He added, “Unlike previously, where our researchers waited days for the earthquake data to come in, with BGAN, our researchers are losing no time in starting their post-earthquake analysis.”
Fostering a long-term relationship
To Dr Banerjee, SingTel and BGAN are key to supporting their ongoing research initiatives.
“BGAN is one of our foremost communication systems. I don’t think we can find a better solution to support our research work. It is strategic and key to our effectiveness, as our researchers strive to enhance our understanding of earthquake mechanisms day-by-day.”
Dr Paramesh Banerjee
Technical Director, EOS
About the technology
Inmarsat offers the broadest portfolio of global broadband, machine-to-machine (M2M) and voice satellite services. Our ground network and satellites operates with an average availability of 99.9%, so whatever enterprise or governmental organisation you work in, you can depend on Inmarsat’s connectivity, wherever your operations are based. Our portfolio of services is accessed via a variety of portable, vehicular and fixed terminals that are rugged enough to withstand challenging environments and extremes of temperature.
About EOS
The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) was officially launched in 2009, with the broad goal to conduct fundamental research on geohazards in and around Southeast Asia, toward safer and more sustainable societies. EOS has two purposes: acquiring scientific knowledge on some of the most complex natural phenomena, and passing this knowledge on to affected populations so they can use it effectively and in timely fashion.