Feb/Mar 2008

The Spot emergency alert system developed by a subsidiary of America's Globalstar satellite network is now available in Europe.

Users pay an annual subscription (currently quoted as $99), and each user receives a small handheld device incorporating a GPS receiver and wireless transmitter. When the user presses the alarm button, a signal is sent via the Globalstar satellite network to a control centre. Staff there then take appropriate action, contacting police or emergency services local to the individual.

Transmission is in simplex mode (that is, it is one-way between the user and the emergency centre), and location is dependent on the availability of GPS. However, the system will attempt to transmit an alert even if it is out of GPS range.

The US-based GEOS Alliance has been handling contact centre operations for Spot in the US, and is also cited as the operator for Europe. GEOS specialises in services for travellers at risk, and its Web site puts emphasis on activities that are prone to terrorism or similar hazards. The European Spot service makes less mileage out of this aspect, and puts more emphasis on problems arising from accidents.

 

In practice, it is likely that the system would be adopted as part of a broader package, in which the nature of each user's risk would be recorded to ensure that an alert prompted an appropriate response. GEOS Alliance, for instance, is now quoting the Spot service as part of its package of resources for at-risk travellers.

The Spot device is certainly well specified. The company says it operates between minus 40 deg F and plus 185 deg F, and from 300 below sea level to 21,000ft up. It also floats, and is said to be waterproof down to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. It has been drop-tested twice on all six sides from 1 metre on to a hard surface.

Within Britain, the appeal might be limited to high-risk activities and remote areas, but across Europe as a whole, the attraction of independence from mobile networks could be compelling.