A new device for emergency communication between tundra dwellers and emergency response groups may appear in Yamal

A new emergency communication system for indigenous people, who lead the traditional lifestyle on remote territories, can appear in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It was stated by the chairman of the Yamal branch of the Russian Geographical Society Igor Znamensky on the 31^st of January.

According to Znamensky, who is also the chairman of the Yamal division of the Russian Amateur Radio Union, the new system is currently being developed by his organization on a free basis. In the future it can be delivered to commercial structures, which will bring it to the market. The system is called “KVpager” (short-wave pager) and built on the principle of transmission of digital messages on frequencies intended for analogue broadcasting.

When “KVpager” is ready for operation, the Amateur Radio Union plans to deploy six base stations in Yamal with support from the department of information technology and communication to transmit short-wave signals. After that everyone will be able to purchase a special receiving device that will allow sending SMS messages from a mobile device connected to it from any point of the region.  

Together with representatives of indigenous peoples, as Igor Znamensky notes, hunters and fishermen will also be able to use the new “short-wave pagers”. SMS messages that are potentially sent with use of the promising transmitter can be provided with information about a sender’s geo-location, what will make work of emergency response groups easier.

Earlier in the day the sitting of the board of guardians of the regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society was opened in Salekhard by the governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Dmitry Artyukhov.