Mountain rescue search area to shrink from 706 sq km to 4 sq km... “We need to make greater use of cellphone records”

[Financial News] A technology has been developed that can reduce the estimated search area for people stranded in the mountains by up to 99% by analyzing cellphone connection records from base stations, prompting calls to expand its use into a nationwide rescue system. The proposal is to build public-safety infrastructure that the three telecom carriers and rescue agencies, including fire and police services, can use jointly so that rescue support does not vary by carrier.
People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae, a member of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, called for public support for field trials, validation and standardization of search technology for people stranded in the mountains during a National Assembly audit of the Korea Communications Agency (KCA) on the 15th.
According to data submitted by the National Fire Agency to Rep. Cho, there were 4,946 mountain accidents over the past five years, or about 1,000 a year on average. In mountainous areas, it can be difficult to determine someone’s exact location when GPS signals are unavailable or a cellphone is turned off, making it important to narrow the search area quickly.
Recently, LG Uplus and Solbit System, a company specializing in radio-wave analysis, conducted a field demonstration of search technology using base-station connection records and radio-wave coverage on Unjangsan Mountain in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province.
In the demonstration, the estimated search area, which was about 706.86 sq km based on the last-connected base station, was reduced to 45.94 sq km after the base station’s location, antenna direction and radio-wave coverage were analyzed. Further analysis of cellphone connection records by time of day narrowed it to 4.13 sq km. This was a reduction of about 99% compared with the existing method.
Rep. Cho said, “The significance lies in showing that base stations and radio-wave data already held by telecom companies could potentially be used to save lives.”
He also pointed out that leaving public-safety technologies with low commercial potential solely to private companies would limit their spread. He said that using the technology in actual rescue operations requires objective validation, access to demonstration sites and integration with fire and police systems.
The KCA has also pursued projects to reduce mountain search areas using radio waves and AI drones, among other technologies. According to the KCA’s own performance report, it supported 69 emergency search-and-rescue operations and found 28 missing people.
Rep. Cho said, “Even when good technologies are developed by the private sector, objective technical validation, access to demonstration sites and integration with the systems of rescue agencies such as fire and police must follow if they are to be used at actual disaster sites,” urging the KCA to play an active role.
He also emphasized that there should be no differences in rescue support depending on the carrier. Rep. Cho said, “You can’t first ask people stranded in the mountains which carrier they use,” adding, “Whether it’s SK Telecom, KT or LG Uplus, we need a system with all three carriers participating so that everyone can receive the same level of rescue support.”
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter