What is Datacasting, Anyway?

• NCJ Number: 242261
• Date Published: August 2012
• Length: 3 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2010-MU-MU-K020
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review

Annotation

This article describes the process of datacasting.

Abstract

The word datacasting is derived from two other words: data and broadcasting; the process of datacasting involves "broadcasting data over a wide area via radio waves and may describe digital signals sent via television or radio." Datacasting is being used by public safety agencies to provide information to the public during a major incident such as an earthquake, a tornado, or even a major sporting event. Datacasting uses the existing infrastructure at a modest cost to move large amounts of data to specific users at specific times for specific purposes. Expenses for setting up a datacasting relationship with a local television or radio station include the purchase of supplemental devices to enable laptop and tablet computers to receive the information as well as expenses related to the development of a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol for data feed at the transmission facility.