Real-time sharing of disaster site situations through public broadcast channels

A 'Group Communication System (GCSE)' that allows hundreds of rescue workers concentrated in one area to share disaster site situations in real time through a public broadcast channel in a large-scale disaster situation has been jointly developed and demonstrated for the first time.

GCSE (Group Communication System Enabler) is a next-generation group communication technology based on eMBMS technology adopted by the international standardization organization 3GPP.

While the existing LTE method makes it difficult to communicate smoothly when hundreds of people gather at a disaster site, Group Communication System (GCSE) technology enables efficient large-scale group communication using the same frequency.

SK Telecom announced on the 25th that it has jointly developed and demonstrated the world's first commercial-level eMBMS-based base station integrated group communication technology with global network equipment manufacturer Nokia.

eMBMS (evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) is a technology that can transmit large-capacity multimedia content to a large number of users through an LTE wireless network. This group communication technology (GCSE) was demonstrated at the Nokia Research Center in Budapest, Hungary, and SK Telecom plans to utilize this technology, which is evaluated as a core technology for disaster safety networks, in its future domestic and international disaster network (PS-LTE) projects.

(Photo Caption: SK Telecom announced that it has jointly developed eMBMS-based group communication technology (GCSE) with Nokia, a global network equipment manufacturer. SK Telecom and Nokia engineers demonstrate a batch communication feature at the Nokia Research Center in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo provided by SKT website)

In particular, as the United States and Europe are also currently promoting national disaster network projects, the possibility of this group communication technology advancing into the global market is considered very high.

Group communication technology is a channel structure based on 3GPP standards that enables real-time, one-to-many calls over a single channel. This allows for large-scale group communication using minimal network resources. Specifically, the two companies announced that they developed this group communication technology by implementing MCE functionality as software in base stations to ensure global standardization and interoperability, thereby securing cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency.

※ MCE (Multicast Coordination Entity): Performs integrated management functions for wireless resources related to eMBMS services.

Additionally, excellent domestic small and medium-sized enterprises such as UNZEL and Cybertel Bridge, which possess specialized technologies in the eMBMS and PTT (Push to Talk) fields, are participating in this development, and it is expected that they will jointly advance into overseas markets in the future.

SK Telecom National Safety Network Task Force Director Kim Jang-ki said, “We have developed the group communication technology, a core solution for the disaster network project, to a commercial level for the first time in the world with Nokia and domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. Through this, we will contribute to the successful completion of the disaster network project, ensure compatibility between manufacturers, and actively support the overseas expansion of excellent domestic small and medium-sized enterprises.”