We need to talk about connectivity for digital programming!

01/04/2024 markhawkins Uncategorized

Across the Aid Sector (UN and NGOs) there is amazing progress made in the digital programming space (also known as ICT4D and T4D). Digital applications have a positive impact on communities through various services such as mobile money and cash vouchers, information sharing, feedback services and much more. Despite all these amazing programmes, I am becoming very concerned that many organisations in this sector are just focusing on digital programming and neglecting its enabler which is power and connectivity. In this article, I am going to advance the argument about why infrastructure-based services to communities remain not just important but essential for the success of Digital Programming.

Back in 2015, I was part of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) working group where the ETC 2020 strategy was launched. One objective of ETC2020 was to deliver “Service to Communities”. Until ETC2020, the organisations focus was to facilitate connectivity and telecoms for aid agencies during major disaster responses. It was recognised that to provide connectivity to affected communities were becoming increasingly important. Around the same time, some organisations including NetHope were already at work in this space and providing connectivity to communities in the refugee camps in Greece.

Using the Nethope Wi-Fi services, IRC and Mercy corps was able to provide the Refugee.info website which informed refugees about humanitarian services and how to navigate complex asylum application processes. Later, this approached become the Signpost project Signpost–Who We Are — Signpost.

In addition to the Wi-Fi and the hosted information, charging points were set up in camps so that refugees could charge up their devices.

Today, the range of digital services to communities continue to increase. In 2022, NGOs and UN agencies provided SIM cards and information for people escaping war in Ukraine in public settings such as railway stations.

Around the world, there are many examples where digital programming is delivering benefits to communities. Frequently, some NGOs neglect to provide the infrastructure and services which are essential to facilitate digital programming. It is often said “This is not our business” or “Somebody else will do it” or “there is 4G everywhere” Unfortunately there are too many examples where these arguments will not stand up. In places where connectivity has not been provided, digital programming has not reached its full potential impact.

The Gaza war have caused massive infrastructure damage and displaced most of the population. Internet services have been severely impacted. Mobile telephone networks are congested to such an extent that it is difficult to make calls and messages sent by SMS have been reported to take as long as 4 hours to arrive. Before the war started, mobile networks only supported 2G services (voice and SMS only).

Before the War, the Gaza mobile networks were limited to 2G services (voice and SMS) which limited digital programming to SMS based services. There will be a huge piece of work needed to initially provide modern connectivity in public places where aid is delivered. Longer term, the mobile networks need to be repaired and upgraded to modern 4G or 5G.

I want to dispel one myth about e-sims in Gaza. It was suggested to me that we could facilitate the mass deployment of e-sims to the community to promote access to digital services. Unfortunately, this “Global North” is ill informed and will not help due to the state of telecoms across Gaza.

Typically, in any natural disaster or “hot war” situation, infrastructure breakdown is inevitable. Whilst the aid sector looks to local business to re-establish telecoms, the reality on the ground is very mixed. The telecoms sector in the Philippines strengthened its resilience against volcanic activities, cyclones, and earthquakes. In recent years, there have been various cyclones and other events which has called on the telecoms sector and government to implement their new disaster response plans. The preparedness planning has delivered good results as services are routinely being restored quickly after cyclones and seismic events.

As digital programming becomes more ubiquitous, the aid sector must do more to facilitate connectivity. For Save the Children International, I have recently developed a “Services to Communities” (S2C) approach where our in-house local expertise is used to deliver connectivity to affected populations. Clearly individual NGOs and UN Agencies will not have the capacity to connect a complete population, but they cab provide Wi-Fi hotspots in limited areas such as IDP/Refugee camps, clinics and schools and other public places supported by aid agencies and local partners.

This year (2024), I am running a project to preposition Wi-Fi and connectivity kits in some high-risk countries across the Global South. In my designs, I have included a solar energy module to power the Wi-fi technology and provide charging points for the community. Satellite kits are on standby in 4 regional locations so they can be brought in when a crisis the local internet services are destroyed.

In addition to pre-positioning equipment, we also need trained people available to deploy the kits and deliver services. Since 2016, some organisations including Save the Children International, Nethope, UNICEF and the ETC have been delivering high quality training to local ICT staff in all regions. The Save the Children “Technology for Emergencies” or (T4E) is a good example of how we have localised deployment of technicians instead of sending people on long flights from more developed countries.

My call to action is for the sector to not forget the importance of delivering the infrastructure needed to provide connectivity. There is no point in focusing 100% on digital solutions if communities do not provide connectivity, power to run the technology or charging points for communities. Digital programming needs to be more open to establishing partnerships with the infrastructure teams that exist in all ICT Departments.

In the months ahead, I hope that the situation in Gaza will become calm so that we in the Aid Sector can get in and do our work. Once we do gain access to the communities, there will be huge needs and it will be vital to provide safe and secure internet access so that the communities can access various services ranging from education to mobile money.

In my next article, I will be taking a deeper dive into the best practices for delivering services to communities (S2C)

Direct to satellite to mobile telecoms

31/03/202431/03/2024 markhawkins connectivity, Emergency Response, Satellite Communication

A few years ago, I wrote an article about new project from AST Space Mobile which uses satellites to provide services to standard mobile telephones. Since then, a lot of progress has been made, but whilst satellite-based connectivity for standard mobiles is not yet fully mainstream, new services are getting closer as other tech companies also develop solutions. Based on what I have seen reported over the past year, we will not have to wait much longer for these new services, but availability in the “Global South” will take longer.

In February, The GSMA (trade association for mobile networks) will be holding its annual trade show called the Mobile Word Congress (MWC). In the lead up to MWC many network operators and handset makers use this event to launch new products and services. For 2024 we are already seeing plenty of announcements from the innovators planning direct to satellite to mobile services. More announcements may be in the pipeline, but currently I am aware of four direct mobile to satellite options emerging. Below we will explore four options. Two of these options rely on standard satellite signals and require compatible mobile phones. AST Space Mobile and StarLink use standard LTE/4G technology.

AST Space Mobile

AST Space Mobile was the first operators to go public with to promote direct to satellite LTE services. AST Space Mobile initially secured funding from the Vodafone group which is a multi-national company. Recently they announced further funding from AT&T and Google.

AST tested its Blue Walker-3 satellite in April 2023 with the first call being made from Texas USA to the Rakuten Group in Japan using a standard Samsung S22 Android mobile.

Already, the company has agreements and understandings in place with around 40 partners including Orange, Telefonica and MTN, although it is expected that the first commercial operations are likely to be launched in the USA. The appearance of MTN in the partnership list will be good for Africa as MTN is a major player in many countries throughout Africa. The commercial work with the AST network appears to be the most advanced at this time, but SpaceX with its StarLink network could accelerate its partnership model quickly.

Iridium

As a long-established satellite telephone operator, Iridium has had a bumpy start in its direct to mobile roadmap when its partnership with the chip maker Qualcomm failed. They have launched Project Stardust which will be based on open standards. Unlike the full LTE functionality offered by AST Space Mobile, Project Stardust uses standard L Band channels and will be initially limited to SOS and SMS text services with data arriving in the future. In addition to smartphones, the service is being designed so that it can be accessed by smaller devices like smart watches. Iridium plans to start testing in 2025 and then launch a commercial service in 2026.

Whilst this innovation is planned to be a direct mobile to satellite service, it does rely on a bespoke chipset being added to each handset. Whilst the tech is “Open sourced” the service will not be LTE/4G compatible but will operate direct on the Iridium L Band. There is an advantage to this approach as it uses the standard Iridium frequency spectrum and will be easier to roll out globally as there are less regulatory challenges.

StarLink

SpaceX is possibly now the largest operator of satellite globally and well known for its StarLink internet service. Whilst StarLink has focused on its low-cost internet services, in January 2024, they tested services via one of their new and recently launched LTE/4G capable satellites and early testing is showing some great results. Very soon, text services will become available and in 2025, services will be expanded to data and voice. As this service is LTE/4G technology based, services can be accessed by any standard smartphone if the SIM card is registered to a telecoms partner like T-Mobile (USA), Salt (Switzerland). To date, there does not appear to be any global south partners but given that StarLink is operating in many Global South but this could change in the months ahead.

Apple

With the launch of the Apple iPhone 14, Apple included a basic satellite SOS function via the GlobalStar satellite network. The Apple approach is not LTE based, but still useful for people who may be in distress in remote locations. Apple is working with GlobalStar to provide internet access in the future. Whilst the SOS function is very useful, Apple technology is very expensive and the GlobalStar network is limited to the Americas, Europe Australia and parts of Asia and the Middle East. Apple satellite SOS will not work in most parts of Africa.

Is this new approach a game changer?

The answer is a definite yes! But it’s important to weigh up the various options before selecting any of the technologies. The best option to select will depend on where the technology will be used and what functionality will be required. Currently the Apple SOS feature is free of charge but likely to become a pay for service after the end of 2024. This service would be an excellent choice for people who occasionally venture into remote locations in developed countries, but the iPhone 14 or newer is needed. The Apple / GlobalStar service is the only Direct satellite service operating at this time.

Iridium will be a good option as its global and provided by a well-established global satellite network. Whilst Iridium is promoting open standards, unfortunately to access this service, phones need to be sourced that has the compatible technology built in. When available Iridium could be the best alternative to buying a standard satellite telephone. In the International Aid sector, when Iridium goes live, this option could be my first choice for security telecoms.

Finally, we are left with StarLink and AST Space Mobile which is pure direct to satellite LTE/4G services. In a nutshell, these services will be compatible with any standard GSM phone. Based on current announcements from these operators, services can only by bought through a national telecoms partner. From a “Security Telecoms” point of view, for now we must assume that telecoms operators in some countries could be forced to disable services by local governments in the same way as they do for terrestrial networks. So, for now, it’s important not to give up traditional satellite telephones such as Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya.

Longer term, it is likely that Direct Satellite to Mobile will get through the various regulatory challenges and could push traditional satellite operators aside. Out of the big three, Iridium is in a good place for the new services, but Inmarsat and Thuraya are unlikely to be offering LTE services from their GEOS fleet and there orbits are significantly higher.

Conclusion

Direct to satellite services (LTE/4G) is a rapidly evolving sector. Apple is the only technology with a live service now and limited to SOS SMS only via a app. As the technology evolves, so will the regulatory challenges. The global mobile sector is massive and well-financed and would object to satellite operators joining the business as competition. Some mobile networks are owned by national government who would impose bans on this new tech if it were to threaten revenues. Currently the emerging business models seem to be based on partnerships where national telecoms providers work with the satellite operators to provide roaming options to extend terrestrial service into remote and rural areas. My gut feeling is that StarLink has the funding and capacity to deliver services at scale and most likely to emerge as the leading direct to satellite LTE/4G provider within the next three years.

Disrupting the Sat-coms Sector

08/09/2022 markhawkins Uncategorized

Over the past few weeks, we have seen two major announcements about how we may be able to access satellite communications with a standard mobile telephone. Currently, the four main operators providing satellite telephone services are Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya and GlobalStar. To access these networks, a dedicated satellite telephone is required. As these networks are proprietary, it is not possible to use a satellite telephone from one network on any of the other networks.

The big announcements: Recently, Elon Musk announced that the next generation of StarLink Satellites would allow people to make calls using a standard mobile telephone (4G). The service in partnership with T-Mobile where mobile phones could roam onto the satellite service when outside of standard terrestrial services.

The second announcement is from Apple where they stated that the new iPhone 14 would have the capability to send text alerts via its satellite partner GlobalStar. This satellite operator covers around 80% of the global land mass and already has a range of small products to send text alerts for adventurers walking of climbing in remote areas. The Apple/GlobalStar partnership does not provide full voice or data services, but it is sufficient for people to get help in remote areas.

AST Space Mobile: The concept of using a standard mobile phone with Satellites is not new. AST & Science and its Space Mobile technology came to my attention in 2020 when they announced that they would be launching satellites to provide 4G and 5G services from space. According to AST & Science, they plan to launch a new satellite this month (Sep 2022).

The announcement from StarLink is very significant and with a fleet of a few thousand satellites already in orbit, we know that Elon Musk has the funding to deliver his next generation of satellites at scale. Since the StarLink/T-Mobile announcement, shares have fallen at AST SpaceMobile, but with a large market of over 15 Billion mobiles phones in the world, there is likely to be enough business for all operators in this sector.

How will these new services affect Humanitarian Aid workers? Let me deal with the Apple/GlobalStar partnership first. As a Aid Worker, two way communications is essential so the iPhone 14 text back up service is not going to work for me as the service is limited to sending emergency text messages. Secondly, Apple technology is expensive and we normally use cheaper Android models from a range of manufacturers. Whilst there is definitely a market for the iPhone 14, due to its limited function, I doubt it will gain any form of support in the aid world. Secondly, coverage is poor in some parts of the global south.

I feel more positive about the solutions from StarLink and AST SpaceMobile. Both of these organisations plan to use the 4G and 5G spectrum as used by most standard mobile phones. For aid workers, this will make telecommunications more accessible through standard handsets. However, will this technology work?

Challenges: The traditional satellite operators use different parts of the radio spectrum to provide a service. International agreements enable the four main satellite networks to provide service into most countries. There are some countries where satellite phones are illegal.

Where these new services are permitted, some of us in the aid sector have some question we need to see answers to;

How well with these new services perform when they become available? How well will an standard handset cope with a satellite a few hundred KM away when its designed to communicate with a base station a few KM from the user?
4G and 5G spectrum will be crowded. So expect to see some regulatory challenges and perhaps some lawsuits between some of the terrestrial operators. The T-Mobile/Starlink model is probably the best way to success where service users have a contract with a local network provider and the satellite provider fills in the gaps with a roaming service.

I can see a problem with this. What happens when a user is away from his/her home country? Does the mobile phone connect to the satellite or roam on another terrestrial network?

Conclusion: Whilst the Apple/GlobalStar is not the solution I will buy in to, AST SpaceMobile and StarLink are two interesting technologies to watch closely. These technologies have the potential to disrupt parts of the satellite communications market, especially on land. At sea, its less likely as traditional satellite operators such as Inmarsat and now Iridium form an essential part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System as used by ships at sea.

How to build a Covid-19 clinic in the Global South

10/01/202110/01/2021 markhawkins connectivity, Covid-19, Infrastructure, Services to affected communities

In this article, I want to share a design I have created for a “Pop up Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic” Its based on the practices as used by the NHS in England. The design is flexible and can be modified to suit local clinical regulations. My focus is on technical infrastructure. If anyone uses the draft information below, its essential to use these plans as inspiration and involve clinical experts in the final design to be deployed.

The Site Plan
The site has been designed to facilitate the smooth flow of people through a one way system. Markings will be placed on the floor to remind patients to maintain the correct social distance. A waiting area is provided outside where patients can queue and have their temperatures checked. With good planning, appointment slots can be given to patients so that they arrive at specific times to prevent overcrowding at the entrance. Before entry, the temperature of each patient will be checked.

This is a “pop-up” clinic which means that it needs to be built quickly and brought into service. The modules in the plan can either be tents or temporary structures made from local materials such as plastic sheeting and timber.

Once inside the clinic, the patient is registered on the appropriate IT system which is defined by the country government where the vaccinations are taking place. Some vaccines will require a second future dose, so accurate record keeping and recording of patient contact details will be essential. Screening can also be managed at the registration post. Any patients who fail screening for reasons such as previous reactions to vaccines can be taken out of the clinic via a side entrance.

The next stage is vaccination. This site has been designed to support 8 clinical bays, so it is possible to have a daily throughput of 600+ patients if the clinic is open for 12 hours a day. Good HR planning is essential as there should be sufficient staff to allow for breaks. In hot countries larger teams may be needed as the time staff can spend in full PPE will need to be limited.

After immunisation, an observation area is provided if its needed for the vaccine being administered. In the UK, the Pfizer vaccine is using new techniques and as a precaution, patients will stay in the observation zone for 15 minutes. If there has been no reactions to the vaccine, the patient will be free to leave. Should there be a severe reaction such as anaphylactic shock, the resuscitation module is set up where the patient can be managed.

The whole clinic is secured with fencing. Inside the clinic, there are two restricted areas where access is limited to staff only. A main service area is used to host the pharmacy and staff office / rest room. Another secure area is set up to host power generation and waste management.

Other modules can be added to the staff zone such as wash rooms and PPE storage.

ICT
The basic IT will consist of an internet connection such as 3G or satellite for remote areas. Secure Wi-Fi hotspots will be set up for the computers and if resources permit, public Wi-Fi can be used to provide patients with information. The software used to manage patient information will need to be determined locally in each country. Its likely to be a government system.

Clinical Waste Management
Waste from the clinic needs to be handle carefully and responsibly. Firstly items of PPE may need to be incinerated so that the risk of contamination is removed. The empty containers which held the vaccine must either be returned to a formal system to recycle the containers or they must be destroyed. The containers must not fall into public circulation as they may be used by criminal gangs to make money from fake vaccines.

Cold Chain
Vaccines must be stored in a medical standard fridge. The specific model of fridge will be determined by the sort of vaccine in use and its environment requirements. As part of the clinic design, there needs to be stable power available for the fridge with back-ups. If power fails, this might result in temperature levels rising which will destroy the vaccine. The following design concept should be sufficient to mitigate this risk.

The power source will either come from the local grid or generator. An Inverter/Charger is provided and will charge batteries while power is available. Should the power fail, the battery will take over and power the fridge via the inverter. The battery bank will be sized to provide power for at least 24 hours. The Inverter/Charger has built in IOT technology and will send an alert to let management know that power has failed. (Note – core IT infrastructure will also be connected to the same back up power supply).

As a further protection, a smart temperature sensor can be added to the fridge to monitor temperature and send alerts when temperatures are close to becoming too high or too low.

Conclusion
This is a very high level design. There will be various clinical factors to be added. Other modifications may be needed to make the site accessible to disabled patients. This design is a good starting point for a team of experts to begin work.

Home Worker – Solar Energy Bench Test

07/04/202010/01/2021 markhawkins Covid-19, Energy Leave a comment

In the last edition, I highlighted the challenges faced by home workers who live in locations where the power supply is either intermittent or is not available at all. Since the article was published, I have carried out rigorous testing of two systems. Both performed well. One system was “Out of the box” and the other system was built from separate components I was able to source from suppliers in the UK.

The quickest solution is to buy a solution which has been pre-built. But with the world in lockdown and many flights cancelled it may not be possible to import solutions, so the “Build your own” option may be the only way to provide power. In addition to the home solar designs below, I was recently asked to look at design for 20 staff.

Voltaic Arc 20W Solar Charger Kit: This system is supplied by Planson International. Over the course of four days, I was able to use a Lenovo X390 laptop without needing to connect to the mains power to top up.

The Lenovo X90 uses around 65 Watts when charging which is a little more than the capacity provided from the solar panel, however it only takes just over an hour to charge. Testing was conducted in the UK during sunny weather (early April). During the testing enough energy was created to produce two full laptop charges a day.

It is also possible to get more from a charge by doing the following:

Use battery save functions
Do not play music – it consumes power
Reduce the screen light power (try to work in a shaded place
During conference calling, avoid video if possible.

The Voltaic kit also comes with a LED light which is more than sufficient for a desk and a mains charger which can be used to charge the battery in the places where intermittent power is needed.

100W Home kit (Built from separate components: This system can be built from components purchased locally. In the UK, the following components were purchased from RS components (rswww.com).

100W Solar Panel $160
100 A/H Lead acid battery $280
100W Inverter $70
Controller (10A) $80
Cables and plugs $80

For a total of approximately $680, this system is sufficient to power a few LED lights, a laptop, mobile phone and a printer. The purpose of the controller is to manage the power from the solar panel so that the batteries is now overcharged. The controller also has a display which indicates how much charge is being generated, and how much energy is stored in the battery.

This system can also be scaled up. With the same controller, two further 100W panels can be added (Bringing the capacity to 300W or 9A). Additional batteries can also be added to the system to increase storage capacity. Important Note: Energy loads must always be connected to the output terminals on the controller and not to the battery directly. This will prevent the battery from being completely drained (which can cause damage to the battery).

The inverter in this design provides a maximum power of 100W. Larger inverters can be used, but till consume power more quickly. Given that it often takes just over an hour to charge many laptops, I think a single invertor will be sufficient for charging laptops.

For lighting, I would recommend 12V LED lights rather than using 220V lights connected to an inverter. This is more energy efficient as there are often energy losses within most inverters.

Small office Design for 20 users

When designing a system for a small office, it’s important to work out what the overall load is. This will help to identify what components will need to be purchased to build the system. Once the system has been set up, it must only be used for the power load it was designed for. If more items are loaded (e.g. more computers) the system may not have the capacity to support the increased load without upgrading the solar system first.

Many years ago, I developed a tool to estimate the size of a solar energy system. This first screenshot lists the items we need to power.

The load list does not contain items like fridges and security lights as I would recommend buying dedicated stand-alone solutions which have their own panels built-in. Please note that in addition to power load information, it’s important to include information about how long each item is used each day.

The next table calculates the amount of panels and batteries needed to provide the power for the load listed in the first table. The battery bank has been specified to store enough energy for three days. The solar panel has been designed to produce enough energy to service the load and provide a little extra power which can be used to store up energy for three days.

So for this load, if we use 100W solar panels, and 100A/H batteries, we will need 29 Panels and a bank of 50 Batteries. In addition to this, we will need a fairly large controller which can handle 150 Amps. Larger controllers also require bigger cables to transfer the power. In some places higher capacity cables and controllers can be difficult to source, but it’s possible to achieve the same result by building three smaller 50A systems.

As a very rough guide, here is an estimate for building the system above.

150 Amp controller: $2300
50 Batteries: $1250
29 Panels $4640
Inverter 2KW $1000
Cables etc $1500
Total $10,690

This is a rough estimate which does not include shipping and taxes. Whilst the initial set up cost is high, over time, the overall return on investment is good as no fuel is used. The only component which needs to be changed from time to time is the batteries.

Conclusion: Solar energy can be a great solution for remote locations where power is not available. It is also a cleaner method of providing energy. With some good planning, selection of low powered office systems, smaller power systems can be purchased. Good discipline is also important as it’s easy for a system to fail to deliver if extra load is added which was not planned for.

Solving the energy problem for the Covid-19 homeworker in an off-grid enviorment

28/03/202010/01/2021 markhawkins Covid-19, Energy Leave a comment

Over the next few weeks, I am going to be focusing on technical topics which can may assist the aid sector in our fight against COVID-19. So let me kick off this series of articles by addressing one important issue that affects aid workers living in the “Global South” – lack of stable electricity at home. There are still vast sectors within cities where reliable power is absent. Over the past week, I have had heard that staff need to send laptops back to the office to be charged so that they can continue working. This requires staff to move around and mix, which goes against our practice of trying to stop this virus from spreading.

So here are a few ideas to overcome the problem.

Power consumption: Before we explore any power solutions, it’s important to have an understanding about how much power is needed to keep a staff member productive. Effectively we need to create a power budget. The idea here is to strip consumption back to the absolute minimum so we only need to build the smallest power solution and keep costs down.

So basic needs are:
1. Laptop computer (Without the external monitor as this uses extra power!)
1. Mobile phone and or a 3G/4G hotspot
1. LED light for the workplace.

Mobile phones and most 3 or 4G hotspots / dongles can be powered directly from the computer (but will reduce computer battery life). Portable solar powered lanterns can also be a great solution for the home office. If possible, try to avoid using additional technology like printers, scanners and external monitors if you can. The camera on a mobile phone can be used as a very effective scanner with apps like Microsoft Office Lens. Online electronic signature software should also be used by organisations so that there is no need to print hard copies for signature.

Interesting Fact: During the Ebola Crisis, medical staff did everything online – including prescriptions as paper is a great medium to pass a dangerous virus between people!

The laptop is the main consumer of power so we need to understand how much power the laptop will use so that we can size up the correct power solution. Our target should be to provide enough power so that the computer will run for at least 8 hours. Ideally I would like to cap it at 8 hours in the interest of work-life balance, but some people may need to work for longer periods, especially if they are supporting the COVID-19 response.

The basic rule of physics which applies here is this: Larger power needs require larger power systems, hence more costs! So one quick win here is to look at the office computer estate and if possible, carry out some temporary redistribution so that the more power thirsty computers are allocated to staff that live in places where there is stable power. This will leave the more efficient computers for the people who live in the off grid areas.

So here are some power budgets for two popular computers used by NGOs

Model	Lenovo X390	Lenovo T470p
Power adapter	65W	90W
Battery Capacity	48 WH	48 WH
Battery Life	3.8 hours	2.5 hours

Battery life is subjective to how the computer is being used.

The X series computer would be a better computer for a power starved setting it needs less energy (65W) to charge, and the battery last longer.

TIP: Computer battery life can be extended by using power save function on the laptop, and by installing larger battery packs (But larger batteries take longer to charge!)

Unreliable power scenario: In this scenario, we will look at what solution we could use to keep a laptop running in a location where power supplies are intermittent. The following solution is fairly cost effective.

This system is designed to use the grid power when its available to charge up battery. The charger should be high power, at least 30 Amps or more charging capacity. The cheaper low power charges would take too long to fully charge! The battery should be around 120 AH or more so that it can run an inverter for up to 10 hours. A 100W inverter should be sufficient to charge a laptop. Many inverters have a USB charging point built in which can power a phone.

Safety first: When a battery is charging, it can produce hydrogen gas which is explosive. So lead acid batteries should be placed in well-ventilated and away from any naked fames (such as a cooker).

As this system supplies 220V AC, be careful that others in the house do not plug things into the system and steal your electricity!

No Power: For locations which is completely off grid, here is a design which should be sufficient to keep the technology running for a homeworker.

The 120W panel at peak will produce 120W energy, but it could be less when the sun is weaker earlier or later in the day. So the idea is to locate the panel in a place where it will get the maximum sunlight. The controller uses the power from the panel to charge the battery. The 20A specification means that the system can be scaled up to two panels if more capacity is needed.

During the day, the system should produce 600-800 w/h of energy which is more than sufficient to run a computer, LED light and a charge a mobile phone.

Safety first: When a battery is charging, it can produce hydrogen gas which is explosive. So lead acid batteries should be placed in well-ventilated and away from any naked fames (such as a cooker).

On cloudy days, solar panels will still produce some electricity but not as much as on a sunny day. As a temporary solution, this design with connecting cables should cost no more than $650. For longer term use, I would recommend doubling up on the panel and battery as it will store more power and will keep a laptop working for more than a couple of days during bad weather.

TIP: The inverter I have specified can be plugged into a car, so this is a good back up plan should energy stored in the two systems above run out of energy. Make sure that the engine is running (out in the open!) when an inverter is in use.

Conclusion: These two solutions are a “Quick and Dirty” design. It utilises components which are readily available from online retailers or hardware stores. Components can be sourced easily in global south countries. The design can also be fine-tuned to match specific power requirements by people who have experience in this field.

Solving the energy storage problem

27/02/202010/01/2021 markhawkins Covid-19, Energy Leave a comment

Around the world, the use of wind and solar farms is increasing as the efficiency of panels and wind generators increase and production costs fall. In the global north, the large renewable energy plants feed power into national grid systems which means that we can reduce our carbon impact by using the gas, coal and oil fired power stations less. But, there is an issue. Whilst we can produce plenty of energy from energy farms, we have not yet really figured out how to store the megawatts of energy efficiently. During a cycle ride from London to Gibraltar last year, I passed through many wind farms in France and Spain. On windy days, there were times when only have of the turbines were not turning. So whilst we have all of this infrastructure, the maximum benefit cannot be realised as we do not have the technology to facilitate the mass storage of electricity.

For smaller solar systems like the ones we would use in the aid sector to power a school or a clinic, the same power storage problem exists. In most countries we store energy in lead acid batteries or some other variant. The use of Solar systems can reduce the carbon footprint, but at the same time we are producing a lot of environmental waste which is not good for the communities where the aid sector is meant to be “doing no harm”

The Battery Problem: The most widely used component in a small solar system is the lead acid battery. The same battery as we use in vehicles. In a vehicle, the lead acid battery normally lasts up to three years which is its expected life. This is because the engine will keep the battery charged. In a solar system the lead acid battery may last two years if we are lucky. Unlike in a vehicle, the battery will frequently be drained to less than 50% of its capacity. If this happens often, longer term damage occurs in the battery cells. The hot climates where NGOs operate also has a negative effect on the battery shortening its life further.

Given the short life span of lead acid batteries, the by-product of the green solar systems is a lot of toxic waste. This is can be a massive issue in developing countries where they are not geared up for recycling.

Lithium Ion batteries are often seen as a good alternative to lead acid batteries because they can hold more charge. But there are some major disadvantages. Lithium Ion batteries contain some very toxic chemicals and have a troubled history of catching on fire. Most airlines will not transport larger lithium batteries due to the fire risk.

An alternative approach: There are better technologies and in the future we will see innovation come from the automotive industry. Tesla and other manufactures of electric cars are working hard to develop battery technology which will allow electric vehicles to go much further than they can today. As vehicles move from petrol and diesel to electric, the mass production of new battery technologies will bring the cost of energy storage down. Where the automotive industry produces answers for energy storage, in the aid sector, we will be able to take advantage of new battery technology for our solar systems.

We have been using electric vehicles for many years and there are already battery technology we can use now to make our solar systems more sustainable. Schneider Electric uses Nickel Sodium batteries to store energy in its Vilaya range of solar systems.

The Nickel Sodium battery (This example made by FZSoNICK) works in an interesting way. The battery need to be warmed up so that the salt inside melts. Once the battery is at its operating temperature, energy can be stored and discharged as needed. The lifetime of the battery is 13-15 years. At the end of life, the waste product is a block of salt and some associated electronics.

The FZSoNICK has the ability to store 10 KWH of energy in this single unit. The cost for one battery is roughly $10,000. It’s a big upfront costs, but there is a return on investment over time. So let’s take a closer look at the numbers.

A good quality deep cycle 90AH battery will cost around $(US)250 and can store 1KWH of energy. Taking in account that we don’t want to discharge a lead acid battery than 40%, then we need to buy more batteries than the stated capacity to ensure that we can store and use the 10KW without damaging the battery bank. So for this example, we would need to buy 14 lead acid batteries at a cost of $3500. As the lifetime of the battery is likely to be two years or less, over the course of 12 years, we would need to change the batteries 6 times, which comes to a total of $21,000 or more. This does not include other costs such as installation and shipping.

So whilst there is a higher start-up costs, the return on investment is significant. But there are other advantages which you will see in the following summary:

Cheaper to run over a long period
Batteries take up much less space which means less cables are needed for installation.
No fire risk from gasses such as hydrogen
End of life waste is smaller as this technology does not use as many materials as other batteries. The main waste product is a block of salt.
Battery is stable and safe to transport
Good return on investment

Deployment example: Nickel Sodium batteries are built into complete systems such as the Villaya solar system from Schneider Electric. The solar plant is transportable with electronics installed and fixed to the walls of the an ISO container. This approach is great for disaster preparedness due to its mobility.

This system can produce enough power to run a small office. In addition to the power circuits, communications technology can also be fitted inside the container so that internet connectivity can be provided in addition to electricity.

The Villaya system is designed with the appropriate systems to protect the circuits from lightning, which means that this system is very well suitable for topical and sub-tropical locations such as Africa.

For disaster response, where it may be difficult to move a container quickly, it’s possible to design the same system into other formats which can be broken down to smaller shipping units for future assembly at a disaster site.

Sustainability: We know that solar panels have a long life if looked after. Nickel Sodium Batteries also have a long life which means that a system built on this technology will be sustainable, but technology is not the only area we need to make sustainable. We need to build peoples capacity. As we adopt new sustainable technology, with built in monitoring systems, these systems will become more complex. We need to initiate a training programme to build the skills of the people who will source, install and maintain solar energy systems. NGOs will have a massive role to play here as they work in very remote locations. If they can adopt green energy systems instead of generators, other sectors might do the same.

In my next article, I will discuss how we in the aid sector should establish teams within our organisations to take ownership of environmental affairs and build the skills in house to help reduce the carbon footprint.

How technology can help the aid sector to tackle climate change

28/11/201910/01/2021 markhawkins Climate Change, Energy Leave a comment

The subject of climate change this year have taken “Centre Stage” in the news. Greta Thunberg has become a household name due to her initial school strike in Sweden and her ongoing global campaign. Here in the UK, Extinction Rebellion have brought parts of London to a complete standstill during two periods of protest this year. The main target of these campaigns have been the big corporates, political parties and governments. But how long will it be before this attention starts to focus on the aid sector?

As aid workers, we want to do good and no harm, but our activities are not exactly green. Many organisations are starting to think about how they can deliver programmes in a green way. We must not pay lip service to climate change by setting up think-tanks or creating a series of academic papers on the topic. We need to be strategic planning and get executive “buy in” from NGO leaders. At the same time we have to take some tactical practical actions now so that we can reduce our carbon footprint. In this article, I am going to put a spotlight on how technology can be an accelerator to reducing our impact on the environment.

NGOs can be found operating in a wide range of environments ranging from cities to remote locations. The electrical supply to many sites range from city mains power to generator. In some rare cases, sites may already be hooked up to a renewable energy supply. The places where NGOs are doing the most damage are the locations where generators are used. Its is in these places where we can have a major positive impact if we take actions to move from generator to green power generation . This will be a challenge and funding change is the biggest obstacle.

The other negative impact on the environment is from the large fleets of vehicles operated by NGOs ang UN organisations. The combination of fleet tracking technology and selecting more fuel efficient vehicles can significantly reduce fuel consumption and save money.

So whether it’s a smoking generator or a car, what can we do to reduce the environmental impact?

Here are some practical actions NGOs can start working on now to start the journey to become a zero carbon organisation.

Monitoring: Data is a really powerful tool which can help organisations to make some key decisions about how they manage the provision of electricity. Smart IOT* Technology can be used to measure the energy consumption of a site. In many countries, utility companies are installing smart meters in residences and businesses to measure how much energy is being consumed. The utility companies use the smart meters to automate the billing process. Because this technology is used widely in many countries, the technology is mass produced which makes it affordable

The Eydro monitor (pictured above) cost approximately $300 and is currently being used by some organisations in developing countries to establish energy consumption benchmarks.

Measurements are taken constantly by the current sensors which clip onto the main power supply cables. The main control box is Wi-Fi enabled and sends data to server where all readings are stored and presented as graphs (see below).

Ideally organisations should try and keep monitoring in place permanently so that after the initial actions to reduce consumption using the data, all future data readings can be used to make sure that sites remain green.

Sustainable Renewable technology: In many locations, solar energy systems are likely to be the best pathway to reaching zero carbon emissions. There are plenty of challenges to address when implementing renewable energy. In the past, the aid sector has had a mix of success and failure when they have tried to implement solar energy systems. This is where lessons need to be captured so that future systems are installed correctly, are built to quality and last for many years.

Here are some examples of best practices aid organisations should build into their technical approach:

Skills – The success of a solar project will partly depend upon the expertise of the people who design, source and install systems. The lack of good electricians is a major challenge in some countries, so its essential that a “capacity building” element is included in any solar energy programme.
Maintenance & Change management – Very often, solar systems have failed because they have either not been maintained, or power consumption have been increased. There needs to be active management of solar systems using the monitoring technology. Alerts can be set to warn of technical issues. Monitoring will also report on power consumption trends. When an increase is consumption is detected, the change can be investigated. The extra power load can be removed, or the solar system scaled up if more power is needed.
Component quality – Local markets may have a range of choices where quality will range from excellent to poor. A solar system needs to be build from good components which will last for many years. Poor quality items are not likely to last long.
Crime and Fraud – There is a risk that solar components may be stolen. So installations need to be hardened against theft. Internally, electronic components, cabling and batteries can be placed in strong enclosures which will protect the systems from theft and tampering.

When sourcing components, organisations need to be aware of fraud. I have some personal experience of poor quality systems being re-ladled with branding of high quality brands. Another fraud risk is where a supplier will re-label a battery or solar panel with a higher capacity than its designed to produced. In 2012, I revealed a fraud to an NGO where the supplier had labelled a poor quality Chinese 80AH battery as a 120AH battery made in Germany!

So, to overcome these challenges there needs to be a structured approach to delivering and then managing the systems. This requires staff training and better sourcing. There is good news on sourcing, the price of components has been falling over the past few years as more solar systems become popular. But in places where good quality parts are not available, part of a wider programme of delivery should be to persuade local suppliers to stock better quality goods.

Donors and funding: So, in places where there is no reliable power, NGOs will often buy a generator. Most donors will cover the cost of buying the generator in the first place and then ongoing fuel costs. The problem I have with the way the aid sector is funded is the short term mind-set. Donors are rarely keen to invest in longer lasting technology even though the aid programme supported is all about making a longer term difference to the communities aid organisations support!.

The most significant barrier preventing widespread uptake of solar energy within the aid sector is the initial start-up costs, which are often significantly more than financing a generator. But in the longer term, fuel consumption and servicing means that the total cost of ownership is more expensive that solar after a few years.

Schneider Electric is a large corporate who operates in the electrical sector and have many years’ experience working in developing nations. Schneider manufactures a range of energy systems including solar. The graph below illustrates the total cost of ownership of their 14 kVA Villaya Solar system versus a generator. There is a high initial start-up investment of $75,000. Subsequent run costs are very low and the breakeven point is reached at around three years.

The system is designed to last for more than 20 years. At year 13, there is another financial peak where the batteries need replacing. The battery spec is interesting as they are sodium based and designed to last for over a decade. When they reach the end of life, the chemical composition of the batteries is significantly less harmful to the environment than NiMH or Lead Acid batteries.

The graph clearly illustrates the longer term financial savings as well as the improved environmental performance. But what is missing is the funding approach by donors and aid organisations. The aid sector need to identify a way to fix the funding issue as soon as possible otherwise our quest to become green will fail!

Some organisations are working on the funding issue already. There are also third party organisations who can provide solar systems to aid organisations with a zero start-up cost. They use a cost recovery model such as pay per KHW in the same way that a utility company would charge for power in a city. NGOs could also consider using unrestricted funding to finance systems and then charge back fees to donors to recover the initial investment and ongoing costs.

Some NGOs already use unrestricted funds to by vehicles and then lease the vehicles to the donor funded programmes.

Lets get started!: Whilst it may take some time to develop the correct funding model to implement larger scale solar systems, there is plenty we can be doing now to reduce our carbon footprint. These actions can be taken across all sites (generator or mains power supplied). This activity is also low cost!

Move to more efficient lighting – LED is a very efficient form of lighting. See comparison above with traditional lighting methods.
IT consumes a lot of energy, so moving servers to the cloud will reduce on site energy consumption. Laptops consume about 30% of the energy used by a standard desktop.
Review where we use Air Conditioning – Are we using too many air-con units in some sites? Can fans be used instead?
Where possible, use more open plan offices – they can be more energy efficient than a site consisting of multiple small rooms.
Data: Use IOT to monitor energy consumption. Proactively use the data to monitor energy consumption and make decisions to reduce energy consumption.

This data may reveal changes which could be made such as reducing the generator size if its too big.
Store energy: why run a generator 24 hours a day when some of the energy could be stored in batteries? During off peak hours, basic services such as IT and communications can remain online and powered from a battery back up.
Collaborate: Where NGOs are working in very close proximity with each other, sharing resources such as generators can reduce the overall impact on the environment.

Fleet: Moving away from power generation, the large fleets operated by NGOs have a massive carbon footprint. Technology and data could play a potential role to help reduce fuel consumption. Some organisations such as World Vision have well established fleet management systems which is making fleet operations more efficient. There are two main components to a fleet system which are needed.

Tracking (Also known as IVMS**): This is the technology which is installed on vehicles to capture its location, speed and engine information such as fuel consumption. These tracking systems often include a communications module which sends information to a central fleet management system. In addition to the green benefits, IVMS helps security managers to keep staff safe
Fleet Management System (FMS): FMS tracks data received from each vehicle along. It also holds data about the drivers and servicing. IVMS can provide real-time alerting when certain policies such as speed limits are breached. Data can be used to influence drivers behaviour so that they drive more economically. FMS can also include a booking and dispatch systems so that vehicle tasking is more efficient. By combining several journeys into one.

Conclusion: There is a clear and present danger to society if we do not start to adopt a greener way to conduct humanitarian operations quickly. Technology can be a great accelerator in delivering results. Funding the change is a challenge and the aid sector needs to develop a strategy to make the changes needed.

Climate change will have a massive negative impact on communities. Livelihoods will be destroyed. Communities will simply disappear as climate change destroys crops and create water shortages.

Practical action is needed now. Aid organisations need to do their bit. We will not solve this climate crisis through the formation of think tanks, discussion groups and other “Talking shops” Its only through practical action we will make a change.

* IOT: Internet of Things
** IVMS: In Vehicle Monitoring System

2019 New Stuff

01/07/201910/01/2021 markhawkins Drones, FinTech, Innovation, Uncategorized Leave a comment

In this issue of the Tuesday Technical, you will find a round-up of some great innovative ideas from recent trade events such as the Mobile World Congress, Aid and Trade and the Emergency Telecoms Cluster open day. We will also take a close look into a great product from the Finance Technology Sector (known as “FINTECH”) which could potential save money for the frequent travellers who work in the aid sector.

Fintech: For the longest time, the banking sector has made huge sums of money from Aid workers as they move from country to country. Whether its hard cash being changed to a different currency or we use debit or credit cards, it’s the bank who always win. The new Fintech companies are starting to challenge traditional banks. MPESA is a great example where mobile money changed the way people got paid and settled bills in Kenya.

For international travellers, there is now a great solution known as the borderless account from Transferwise. This new type of account allows the account holder to keep multiple currencies linked to a single debit card (facilitated by the Mastercard network). The debit card can be used to pay for items or to draw cash from an ATM. The debit card can be topped up online via a bank transfer in many leading currencies. Once funds have been added to the Transferwise account, they can be converted to a wide range of other currencies using the mid-market standard rate (which is the same as currencies listed on XE.com) Here is an example of what rates would look like at today’s rates using Transferwise vs other accounts:

£100 buys $125.84 via Transferise (Including a fee of £0.92), $123.23 via Barclays Bank and $124,18 via Travelex.

Another benefit with Transferwise is that with each account, you will get a local bank account for each currency. On my Transferwise account, I have a USD balance with its own USA bank account information. This is now starting to save me money as when I am paid expenses in USD, I have the choice of keeping the cash in USD for future use or switching to GBP or EUROS at competitive rates. This could be a great money saver for those who get paid in one currency but live in a location which uses another currency. In April, my bank charged me at a rate of 1.34 to change USD to GBP, where Transferwise was 1.30 !

For more information, please visit https://transferwise.com

Power for the communities: One of the things which really frustrate me in the energy sector is when I get some smooth sales pitch from so-called inventors who claims to have a unique idea to solve energy in the Global South. As we approach the end of the sale pitch and we approach the great reveal, the solution often turns out to be yet another solar lantern. Whilst solar lanterns are really useful, this concept is so mainstream now that innovators need to stop pushing the solar lantern as something new!

So as you can imagine, with my scepticism around this portable energy area it does take something special to grab my attention. At the London Aid and Trade show this year, Yolk, a company based in Korea has developed the “Electric Cow”. This is an innovative way to get small amounts of energy to families in return for allowing their children to attend school. This is how it works:

The system is very simple. A solar panel is built onto a frame which is made in the shape of a cow. The udder underneath (see photo) is a docking station to charge small batteries. When a child arrives at school for the day, he/she will place the battery in the dock. Here the attendance of the children is logged and the battery will be charged during the day. Each battery has a unique code which enables the child to be identified.

At the end of the day, the child takes the battery home where it can be used to power a LED light for three hours or charge a mobile phone. It’s a simple idea, but one which can have a sustainable impact on communities as batteries can be replaced by the school as and when they wear out. See more at http://yolkstation.com/solar-cow-project/

Innovation in communication: Push To Talk (PPT) is a well-known open method used to communicate in an open setting. This is where one station transmits by pushing a button, and all other people on the same channel can hear what is being said. The PTT method has its origins in radio and has been used in mainly a safety and security context. In fleet management is a great way to reach all vehicles simultaneously with important messages to multiple vehicles. In a security related situation, a PTT call can be made to ask for assistance.

PTT has been slowly declining over the years as people move to the more private direct dial calls using mobile phones. Whilst this change is great for privacy, I still believe that PTT is still the best means of communication for fleets as its simple to use, and certainly safer for drivers who might need to pass important messages whilst driving. PTT is initiated at the push of a button, where as a privately dialled call requires some attention from a driver and if answered, the message goes to one person.

The PTT method is still as relevant now as it has always been for decades. The good news is that PTT innovation is delivering some great new solutions for the aid sector. Motorola has introduced some new technology which could have some impact at a local level. Iridium introduced its satellite PTT solution a few years ago (as reported previously in the Tuesday Technical). I have an update on new iridium technology from Icom, a well-established maker of radios.

So let’s first take a look at what Motorola is doing.

The new TLK100 looks like a radio and works like a PTT radio, but it’s not a radio! It uses the internet to establish talk channels through either its built in WiFi or GSM SIM card. With additional infrastructure, these devices can communicate with traditional VHF radios. But if you wanted to run a small radio network locally over WiFi hotspots or a larger network over a wide area via the cell network, this solution has some advantages over radio as follows;

Unlike VHF radio, PTT over the internet is private.
Radio licenses are not required.
Communications cover could be better than VHF as it relies on internet connections rather than a single base radio station.

VHF has a limitation of cover; roughly 20KM max. Traditionally where PTT radio has been needed beyond the range of an urban setting, HF radio from manufacturers such as Codan and Barret would be used. HF has not been a massive success due to its complex nature. But in areas where mobile phone networks are reliable, the TLK100 could be a suitable option.

Finally, it is also possible to download an app from Motorola so that a standard mobile phone can be used to communicate with TLK100 handsets over the internet!

So let’s look at take a look at what Iridium has been doing in the PTT area recently.

Towards the end of 2018, Iridium complete its launch series and now have a completely new satellite constellation in place. A couple of years ago, Iridium launched its PTT service as part of the new satellite fleet. There are also plans to improve the Iridium data offer, but we will look at this in a future edition of the Tuesday Technical.

In 2017, I tried out Iridium PTT in the UK, Nepal, USA and South Sudan. Whilst I was impressed with the technology and coverage, the audio quality from the PTT version of the Iridium Extreme satellite telephone was far from good. The problem was down to the way Iridium was trying to use the built in earpiece (designed for low volume next to the ear!) as a loud speaker. The audio distortion was so great that it made the handset almost useless. The workaround for the PTT Handset is to plug in an external microphone/handset.

So it is good news that ICOM has entered the game with its new IC-SAT100. Icom is a traditional radio manufacturer from Japan, which means that the handset looks like a radio and will operate like a radio. But as it uses the Iridium satellite network, it will have global cover without the dead spots which HF Radio users frequently experience.

The ICOM is yet to appear on the market, and when it does, I will test the new tech and report back!

Responsible deployment of drones: In some regions of the world, the word “Drone” has a lot of negative meaning. Here in the UK, the use of drones brought Gatwick, one of the UK largest airports to a standstill for almost two days. In other places, military drones owned by nation states have been used to bomb people whilst small cheap domestic drones have been used by ISIS to deliver IEDs.

So the word “Drone” has a lot of negative baggage and for the same reason, UAV is getting a bad press as well, So guess what? Some bright person has come up with a nice new acronym; UAS which stands for Unmanned Aviation Systems!

OK, let’s look at the positive. Drones are increasingly heading towards becoming a major tool for humanitarian work. Over the past year I have seen plenty of examples ranging from aerial photography to delivering items. At the Mobile World Congress this year, one organisation was showcasing a drone cell-phone transmitter which is able to cover a wide area following a major disaster such as an earthquake.

Drone’s, UAV,s, UAS’s or whatever we might call these devices in the future are coming our way quickly. It is important that as the aid sector that we develop our organisations strategies and polices to handle this technology properly. The World Food Programme is showing some great leadership in this area by running a training course which covers the topic very thoroughly over three modules as follows:

2 days flight experience: This is the “hands on” training where students get to fly a range of UAS technologies including long range fixed wing models.
4 days data training: This module explores what sort of data can be collected from UAS and how it can be used to inform decision makers. There is some GIS Mapping included in this module.
4 Days Regulatory & Coordination: In any country, you cannot just show up and fly. Same applies for UAS. This technology is super sensitive in some places which means that if an unregulated drone is flown, the pilot can end up in a deep trouble. So in the model, students will cover aviation law and other hot topics such as data protection and privacy. As part of the same session, coordination is also covered. It’s much better for perhaps a small number of organisations operate drones and share data rather than NGOs filling the skies with loads of expensive and noisy hardware.

Hopefully as organisations start to build up their institutional UAS capacity, we will see this new technology being operated legally and responsibly for the benefit of the communities we all serve.

GPS Clock Rollover – Will my Satnav work after the 6th April?

01/07/201910/01/2021 markhawkins Navigation, Uncategorized Leave a comment

models were quite large and came at a huge cost of over $2,000. Since 1991, GPS receivers have become much smaller and now built into many everyday items including phones, tablets and satellite telephones such as those made by Iridium, Thuraya and Inmarsat. GPS is also used by some IT systems as a reference point for accurate time.

The clock system used by the GPS system is completely different to the time format of hours, minutes and seconds we all use. On April the 6^th, 2019, the clock system used by GPS will reach its highest number and will the roll over to zero and start again. This is very similar to the computer clock problem which was known as the Millennium Bug or Y2K.

Recent press reports have hyped up the GPS roll over as a big problem. One executive from Trend Micro stated at a conference recently that he will not be flying on the 6^th April. So do we have a problem? Absolutely not. We have been here before as the GPS clock system last rolled over in 1999 with no major problems created. Planes did not fall out of the sky, and everybody’s sat-nav did not stop working. So in this article, I am going to explore the science between the GPS clock and explain what we will all remain safe and why GPS technology will keep running.

GPS depends upon its clock system

The GPS systems uses accurate atomic clocks for a time reference. Time is used to calculate distance based on the speed that radio waves take to travel from the satellites to GPS receiver. A minimum of four satellites are needed to calculate a three dimension fix (Latitude, Longitude and Altitude).

As GPS needs highly accurate time keeping, the time signals from the GPS system is also used by IT systems as a time reference. One example of this in action is the computer systems used to trade stock and shares around the world.

The GPS system is digital which means that data is managed using binary code (ones and zeros). Days, Hours, Minutes and seconds is a format which does not work in computing, so binary counters are used to measure time in a different format which is easier to use. Software on the GPS units convert the GPS binary time to the normal format we all use.

The counter used to measure weeks is known as “10 bit binary” which means that a maximum 1024 weeks are counted before the counter is goes round the clock and back to zero. The GPS clock started in 1980 and the first time the counter reached its maximum count took place in August 1999. There were no major issues back then.

Does the clock roll over present a risk?

Several newspapers in the UK has published some alarming articles predicting disaster. The SUN is one example of scaremongering which has no scientific grounding. Many responsible commentators have added comments to some of these news articles questioning the poor content written by people who do not have any idea about the technology. The truth of the roll over is this – The GPS system will continue to operate and nobody has any reason to worry! So here is the reality check:

SatNav and other systems using GPS technology will stop working? Untrue! The clock rollover occurred in 1999, GPS manufacturers have been aware of this issue for a long time and have built function into the design of systems to cope with the rollover. It is unlikely that anyone will have an issue with a GPS purchased anytime over the past 5 years or more.
Some leading commentators have said that there could be issues with flights and other forms of transport? Untrue! Ships and aircraft use multiple technologies to navigate in addition to GPS. Many modern satellite communications also use the Chinese and Russian navigation systems as well as the USA GPS system.
Cell phones and satellite phones will stop working as they lose their time reference? Untrue! Phones normally get their time reference from the communications network. Some modern phones also include the Russian and Chinese versions of GPS,

Conclusion: Ignore the press hype which predicts doom and gloom. GPS will carry on working as normal. Most systems will have the capability to handle the roll over. For that extra reassurance, people can update the software (known as firmware) on older GPS receivers so they can be 100% sure that there will not be an issue.

The Tuesday Technical

Humanitarian technology for aid workers