Information Society Innovation Fund
Typhoon Chanchu entered the South China Sea in May 2006, leaving behind a trail of destruction in China (25 deaths and USD 873 million in damages), Vietnam (44 deaths and 190 missing), and the Philippines (41 deaths and US $1.9 million in damage).
While Vietnam was not on the direct path of typhoon Chanchu, it had one of the highest death and missing people tolls. Vietnam has more than 3200 kms of coastal line along the South China Sea and its fishery industry contributes more than USD 1 billion annually to the nation’s gross domestic product. According to a survey conducted by the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in June 2006, the Vietnamese fishery industry had a total of 85,785 fishing boats.Of these, 72.69% are small boats with engines smaller than 50HP, but which are often operating at an average distance of 200 kms from the shore.
While large ships or vessels with more powerful engines are often equipped with advanced communication devices, (such as a satellite communications link or high power two-way link with central control stations located along the coastal line), small fishing boats are very ill equipped.The existing radio system is only adequate for forward link (land-to-sea) communications, which provides weather and traffic information to small fishing boats at sea from central control stations.The return link (sea-to-land) greatly depends on the distance between these small boats to the central stations, weather conditions, and the size of the radio transmitter and antenna mounted on board. Usually, small boats (less than 50HP) are equipped with low power transmitters (50 W) and a monopole antenna operating at the low 8MHz frequency range. In extreme weather conditions, or when the distance exceeds its maximum theoretical threshold (approximately 216 kms in open space), the return link breaks down.This results in the cessation of all communications from small fishing boats at sea to the central stations meaning that a fisherman has no chance to declare a state of emergency and to request immediate assistance. This creates extreme difficulty for monitoring during search and rescue operations.Both of these problems contributed to the high death toll of Vietnamese fishermen during typhoon Chanchu.
Small fishing boats will be provided with an efficient and reliable Monitoring, Searching, and Rescuing (MSnR) system based on the Global Positioning System (GPS).The system operates over an advanced wireless ad hoc sensor network. An integrated GPS receiver and a programmable Digital Signal Processing (DSP) board will be added into the radio transmitter of each boat to reconnect the broken return link.An alternative to installing a high-cost, high-power radio transmitter in each boat, this solution ingeniously combines the location service offered freely by the GPS and the low power, wireless ad hoc sensor network that allows smart routing of short messages between boats and central stations.As a result, voice and data messages only need to be broadcast across a shorter distance; increasing the probability of reception.
Bac Ha International University (BHIU) will implement the project, with assistance from the Institute of Marine Environment and Resources (IMER).A primary Vietnamese fishing field near Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong city in the South China Sea has been selected as a pilot location to conduct the local survey and research.
Bac Ha International University (BHIU) was founded on 4 November 2007 as an interdisciplinary and multilevel training institution.The University provides high quality human resources, technical services, scientific research activities, and technology transfer to meet the requirements for accelerating the industrialization, modernization, and international integration of Vietnam. The University considers the quality and effectiveness of the training activities rather than profit as the top priority. Bac Ha provides specialists with the required knowledge and professional skills for both the rapid development of modern science and technology and the changes in international markets.Another area of focus is the ability to self-employ and create employment for others, as well as the capacity to effectively and independently work in the competitive international environment.
BHIU values strong partnerships with different enterprises as investors, partners, and customers.These relationships not only provide students with the necessary learning and working environment, but also ensure that the University’s training programs are responsive to the contemporary needs of Vietnamese society. Since its recent establishment, BHIU has built strong partnerships and cooperatives with CMC Technology Group, Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Organization, The Radio-Electronics Association of Vietnam, VASC Corporation, Mobiphone Corporation, Vinaconex Corporation, and Vietel Corporation.
In 2009, the University received a grant from the ISIF program for a project entitled, “Innovative WiMAX Broadband Internet Access for Rural areas of Vietnam using TV Broadcasting UHF bands”.
For more information about BHIU, visit www.bhiu.edu.vn
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