"Shirase I" and "JC-Smart" for disaster prevention to be introduced by Mukawa Town, Hokkaido

Boosting means of communicating and sharing emergency information, as well as building a highly convenient information communication infrastructure for residents' daily use

Japan CableCast Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Chairman & CEO: Hiroshi Fujiwara; hereinafter "JCC") and KCCS Mobile Engineering Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Hyngbae Kim; hereinafter "KCME") are pleased to announce that Mukawa Town, Hokkaido will introduce KCME's IP notification system "Shirase I" and JCC's regional disaster prevention application "JC-Smart".

Mukawa Town was hit by Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in September 2018 (magnitude: 6.7, Japanese intensity: 7), and they have been needing to strengthen means of communicating and sharing "emergency information", as well as to build a highly convenient information communication infrastructure local people can use daily.

The IP notification system and local disaster prevention application provided by JCC and KCME will address those issues by combining JCC's services for automatic distribution of emergency and local information with KCME's expertise in building networks for a community, also delivering maintenance and terminals that are easy to operate even for elderly people.

The features of the IP notification system "Shirase I" and the regional disaster prevention application "JC-Smart" are as follows:

1. Cloud environment

Building the IP notification system on a cloud provides a cost-effective and robust environment.

The system is also linked on the cloud to the municipality's web pages and emergency notification e-mails and automatically distributes information to terminals, greatly reducing the workload in updating information.

Moreover, by selecting a cloud environment, the cost for future equipment upgrades is also expected to be significantly reduced.

2．Terminal with a handset

The terminal has a large-screen display and a dedicated keypad that are easy to use for the elderly, a videophone with a high-resolution camera, and automatic response functions.

It can also be used as an IP phone for daily use to make free calls between municipalities participating in the Hokkaido Council for the Promotion of ICT Infrastructure Use.

Finally, the terminal is highly scalable, with the ability to easily add content to receive.

3. Smartphone linkage

While users are out, they can obtain emergency information and daily information tailored to their lifestyles using the smartphone.

This ability is also effective in communicating information in areas where broadband is not available and during power outages due to such as earthquakes.

JCC and KCME will continue to contribute to the safe and secure community development of municipalities by proposing community-based notification systems.

■Statement from Mukawa Town on the announcement

In order to quickly provide residents with disaster prevention information and other administrative information, Mukawa Town will start operating the new information delivery system next fiscal year after introducing the IP notification system and smartphone application with the cooperation of Japan Cablecast Inc. and its related company KCCS Mobile Engineering Co., Ltd.

The current information terminals have been in place for 14 years, and it is urgent to replace the obsolete terminals. There has also been a need for system deployment across the entire town because the system has only been available in partial areas.

As the smartphone application is going to be introduced across the town, although the IP notification terminals in the existing areas, we are pleased to say we will have made great progress toward solving the problem.

Mukawa Town was hit by the devastating Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in 2018 and learned the importance of disaster assistance information such as on evacuation shelter. Today under the Covid-19 nationwide crisis, which shows no signs of resolution, we also feel that quick and accurate information provision is crucial.

I expect the planned system to serve as the hub of centralized distribution of information including disaster prevention, disaster, and various lifestyle information necessary for residents to live a safe and secure life. I believe many local people's use of it will lead to the development of the "town of the clear stream and health with fortunate people and bright nature."

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude once again to all the related organizations and groups that have supported and cooperated with us in implementing this project.

Yoshiyuki Takenaka, Mayor of Mukawa Town

■About JCC

Company name: Japan CableCast Inc.
Address: Hibiya Park Front, 2-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011
Chairman & CEO: Hiroshi Fujiwara
Established: October 2002
URL︓https://www.cablecast.co.jp/

Japan CableCast Inc., a member of the BroadBand Tower Group, commenced operations in 2002 with the aim of "contributing to the development of communities with diversity and smiles, and achieving sustainable growth together with the communities and customers." JCC provides a variety of services to meet the video and information needs of local customers, including JC-HITS, a multi-channel distribution platform for cable television operators; JC-data, a data broadcasting service for community channels; and Channel 700, a dedicated cable television channel.

■About KCME

Company name: KCCS Mobile Engineering Co., Ltd.
Address: Mita 43 MT Building, 3-13-6 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073
President: Hyngbae Kim
Established: April 1, 2011
URL︓https://www.kcme.jp/

KCCS Mobile Engineering, a member of the Kyocera Group, commenced operations in 2011 intending to become a "global company that contributes to the development of communities where people can continue to thrive without disparities," centering around optimal solutions that integrate mobile and ICT. It is developing a wide range of businesses, not only in the fields of Mobile Internet, AI, IoT, Big Data, and virtual cloud, which are the foundations of the information revolution, but also in their subdivided fields such as 5G, SDN, NFV, GPON, and related engineering. It is also focusing efforts to implement SDGs while operating its business.