LPB, i-Notification.net and Triveni Digital Demonstrate Homeland Security Broadcasting Application using DTV Datacasting at NAB2003
Deployment of Digital Broadcasting System Will Empower PBS Station in Louisiana to Expand Delivery of Emergency Alert System Notifications
BATON ROUGE, LA and PRINCETON, NJ — March 31, 2003
Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), i-Notification.net, and Triveni Digital are presenting a homeland security broadcasting application in the Triveni Digital booth, # SU5475, at the National Association of Broadcasters convention, April 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The application empowers terrestrial DTV stations to deliver Emergency Alert System (EAS) notifications using datacasting through a digital signal. The system will be deployed at LPB to expand the delivery capabilities of PBS stations in Louisiana.
In today’s world, government agencies have the important responsibility of protecting citizens and responding to emergency situations. The challenge is communicating information accurately and quickly to government agencies and the public. i-Notification.net currently offers products and services to government agencies and corporations to help them meet this challenge. Depending solely on public wireless and telephone delivery systems is unwise, because these systems are usually the first to malfunction in a time of crisis. Instead, the notification network needs to be enhanced using a broadband wireless delivery system that disseminates information immediately to a broader area - one powered by the robust DTV broadcast signal. This new wireless platform uses Triveni Digital's SkyScraper datacasting system as the base for the i-Notification.net service. Terrestrial broadcast signals can be picked up from a PC equipped with a DTV tuner card.
"LPB is committed to serving our state which includes taking an active role in homeland security. Combining the i-Notification.net applications built on Triveni Digital’s datacasting system with our DTV signal will help create a notification system for Louisiana," Louisiana Public Broadcasting President/CEO Beth Courtney said. "After we successfully implement this program in Louisiana. We can easily expand the service for other stations through our satellite distribution network."
i-Notification.net has a variety of customers ranging from petro-chemical, pipeline, transportation, healthcare providers, and state and local agencies that use its secure communications platform. All of these customers can benefit from a system that integrates with Triveni Digital’s SkyScraper datacasting system, providing them access to fault resilient DTV signals and coverage of remote areas that aren’t easily serviced by other communication technologies. Furthermore, by integrating this application with the SkyScraper system, rich media such as related medical symptoms, details and diagnosis procedures, escape routes, locations of shelters and other important life-saving information could be distributed along with the alert.
"The use of DTV datacasting in conjunction with our service provides a robust and resilient delivery via a wireless distribution mechanism – so alerts can reach every square mile of a region, whether or not they are attached to the Internet," said Jason Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer of i-Notification.net. "During emergency situations, public communications networks tend to fail as seen in 9/11. We were searching for a solution that would provide our customers their own communications network unaffected by phone failures or network congestion, the combination of the two products addresses these issues. Our relationship with Triveni Digital also opens new opportunities to include rich media content that we never could have foreseen with just traditional Internet communication."
"The LPB deployment will set an example for other terrestrial DTV stations across the country. The service application is both viable and valuable – particularly in view of current events," said Mark Simpson, President and CEO of Triveni Digital. "Integrating Triveni Digital's SkyScraper datacasting system with the i-Notification.net service offers stations the ability to expand the beneficial services they provide to their communities."
About Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is a state network of six non-commercial television stations licensed to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA), established in 1971 by the Louisiana Legislature. About 90 staff members at the LPB Telecommunications Center in Baton Rouge direct network program acquisition and scheduling, production, promotion, broadcast and technical operations, educational services, development, and revenue producing activities. Visit www.lpb.org for more information.
About i-Notification.net
i-Notification.net was formed in 2000 to provide emergency notification services for the petrochemical industry. Since its inception, i-Notification.net has grown to provide a secure communications platform to industrial, governmental, and corporate users. The company’s service is classified under ITAR as category XIII Auxiliary Military Equipment (Cryptographic System). The technology service improves the timeliness, accuracy and consistency of communications by connecting stakeholders forming a secure private network and common incident command interface that enables instant communications and coordination, enabling interoperability between members. Visit www.i-notification.net for more information.
About Triveni Digital
Triveni Digital, Inc., a subsidiary of LG Electronics, develops systems that provide for the management and distribution of data and metadata in digital television streams. Triveni Digital's products for ATSC PSIP, DVB SI, data broadcasting, stream analysis and monitoring are renowned for their ease of use and innovative features. Working with leading industry partners, Triveni Digital employs an open and standards-compliant approach to the digital television market.
EDITOR’S NOTE – When referring to Triveni Digital, please use the complete company name "Triveni Digital" and not just the word "Triveni". Product and company names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
