scope:

This Recommendation specifies requirements for a disaster relief mobile message service.

After a disaster occurs, many people want to contact their immediate family, relatives or friends to report their condition. In many cases, communication is via telephone over the mobile or fixed telephone network. However, due to a large population of users attempting to make similar calls, they often fail to get through due to heavy network congestion.

In contrast, the characteristics of Internet protocol (IP) packet networks are such that, although localized congestion may occur, the user does not experience blocking to the extent that communication is fully cut off, but still has the ability to transfer information, although with possibly reduced throughput.

As an alternative to using a mobile or fixed telephone network after disasters occur, an IP-based disaster relief message service provided through the mobile network enables people to inform their friends and family members of their safety or of damage conditions.