As natural disasters increase in frequency and scale, CSPs are creating an autonomous virtual response system to mitigate their impact

Commercial context

As the world faces increasingly severe impacts from climate change, organizations across sectors are being called upon to mitigate the effects of more frequent and intense natural disasters. This urgency is underscored by the World Meteorological Organization, which reports a five-fold increase in such events over the last half-century. This trend highlights the critical need for resilient and effective infrastructure during emergencies. Here, the telecoms industry can play a key role by providing communication systems which make use of emerging technology to improve the ways in which networks can support response and relief efforts. One of the primary challenges they face is ensuring that emergency services can maintain uninterrupted connectivity and coordination, even when telecommunications infrastructure is compromised.

How the solution works

The Autonomous networks hyperloops - Phase V Catalyst, which won a 2024 Catalyst Award in the Outstanding Catalyst – Beyond Telco category, is creating a virtual command center (VCC) to help organizations manage emergency and disaster response with minimal human intervention. This phase of the Catalyst has concentrated on building an MVP which provides a comprehensive virtual representation of network operations, resources and infrastructure. Operationally, the VCC provides a unified interface that enhances situational awareness through a real-time, holistic view of operations. By minimizing human intervention, the VCC ensures uninterrupted connectivity and access to critical data, expediting response times and optimizing resource allocation.

The VCC uses a sophisticated integration of AI, autonomous networks (AN), and digital twins (DT) to create a dynamic and adaptive system tailored for emergency management. This combination is designed to help emergency services overcome one of the principal challenges in emergencies: ensuring continuous connectivity, even in situations with damaged infrastructure.

The VCC uses AI to process and analyze large volumes of data from various sources, helping to identify risk, and devise optimal response strategies. The AI algorithms are designed to enhance situational awareness and support informed decision-making, allowing for more effective and timely responses during emergencies. It works in concert with AN capabilities, which are crucial for maintaining resilient communication infrastructure. These networks can self-heal, reconfigure, and optimize themselves in response to disruptions caused by disasters. For instance, if part of the telecommunications network is damaged, AN can automatically reroute communications through alternative paths, ensuring continuous connectivity for emergency services. This autonomous management capability minimizes downtime and maintains the flow of critical information, which is vital for effective coordination and response.

Digital twins play a key role in the VCC by creating virtual representations of the network infrastructure and operations. These digital replicas provide a real-time view of the status and performance of various network components. By integrating real-time data, digital twins help simulate and monitor the network's condition, allowing for proactive maintenance and rapid identification of issues. This capability ensures that the network remains operational and efficient, even under adverse conditions.

The VCC's architecture, compliant with the Open Digital Architecture (ODA) framework, ensures flexibility and scalability. The VCC uses TM Forum standards and APIs such as TMF641 for service ordering, TMF652 for resource order management, TMF921 for intent management, and TMF628 for performance management. CAMARA APIs are employed to ease integration and interoperability within the system. This design ensures that the VCC is modular and composable, allowing for individual components to be easily replaced, upgraded, or adapted without disrupting the overall system.

Wider application and value

The VCC has the potential to transform how emergency services operate, providing a comprehensive platform that enhances situational awareness, decision-making, and operational efficiency. By doing so, it can minimize the impact of disasters on communities, ultimately saving lives and reducing the economic toll of such events. The VCC's ability to provide early warnings and maintain operational efficiency during disasters underscores its value as a critical tool in the global effort to combat the effects of climate change and a valuable contribution towards Tech for Good.

The financial implications are significant: early warnings and improved coordination enabled by the VCC could reduce disaster-related damages by 30%, potentially avoiding global losses amounting to $3-16 billion annually. While the initial focus of the VCC is on enhancing emergency services, its potential applications elsewhere. The VCC's technology can be adapted to support other mission-critical industries, providing new revenue streams for CSPs in the process.

As explained by Research Manager, Automation for Networks at Orange Frédéric Desnoes, “the Virtual Command Center represents a significant advancement in emergency management technology. By combining AI, autonomous networks, and digital twins, it provides a robust, scalable solution that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency responses. As climate change continues to challenge global resilience, the VCC stands out as a pivotal innovation with the potential to save lives, reduce economic losses, and support sustainable development across various sectors.