IPv6 Multicast Service to Provide Earthquake Early Warnings
NTT Com’s IPv6 multicast technology will be used in an Internet-based early-warning system to alert users of earthquakes moments before the temblors are felt. A trial involving factories, railroads and other companies, government agencies and other organizations will be held from November 15 to January 31, while a separate trial for individuals will last from December 4 to March 31.
The trials will be conducted in cooperation with the Japan Meteorological Agency, which for years has been issuing emergency bulletins about the magnitude, depth, etc. of earthquakes immediately after they occur. Using this information, the trial system will calculate the approximate times when the shock waves are expected to be felt in specific areas beyond the epicenter.
If a large earthquake were to occur during one of the trials, participants would be alerted of the estimated intensity of the shock waves, and the number of seconds remaining before they would be felt in each participant’s general location. The warning, along with a countdown in seconds, would appear on the screens of IPv6-compatible computers (including all machines with Windows XP SP2). It is believed that advanced warnings of even a few seconds could provide enough time for essential countermeasures, such as stopping trains and elevators, extinguishing flames and taking cover.
NTT Com’s advanced IPv6 multicast technology will help to minimize the time required to send warnings to mass users. It is expected that users would be warned a scant one second after the agency issues its earthquake bulletin. Personal computers must be on to receive the warnings. In the company trial, NTT Com will provide users with application software for IPv6-compatible computers, and some Japanese makers will provide dedicated devices for the service.
