Avalanche and Hydrometric Monitoring Across the Alps

How do you build a reliable communication network in the Italian Alps – across 7,500 km², with temperatures below –30 °C, solar-powered stations and altitudes up to 3,400 m? You choose RACOM MORSE.

The Department of Civil Protection of the Bolzano region needed to replace and unify several aging, incompatible networks used for:

• Avalanche monitoring
• Hydrometric measurements
• Meteorological data collection

The goal was a single, robust system capable of operating:

• At extreme altitudes up to 3400 m (Mount Wilder Freiger – one of Europe’s highest stations)
• In temperatures often dropping below –30 °C
• With solar power and sleep mode operation
• Across 7,500 km² of rugged alpine terrain
• With the ability to integrate all existing station equipment

The previous systems – HYDRO98, CAE radio, landlines, GSM dial-up and GPRS – each had limitations in cost, stability or disaster-resilience.

The MORSE system using MR400 radio modems was selected as the only platform able to fulfil all operational and environmental requirements.

System highlights:

• 400 MHz simplex operation ideal for mountainous terrain
• 17 backbone stations and 70 terminal stations
• Fully redundant backbone, with two MR400 radios at each hub
• Wide interface support: Ethernet, up to 4× RS232, 2× RS422/485, GPS, M-BUS, I/O
• Integrated remote diagnostics
• Sleep mode for solar-powered sites
• High sensitivity enabling long-range coverage

The solution merged all five legacy systems into one dependable, efficient network.

With more than 100 units deployed, the network now provides:

• Real-time avalanche data
• Meteorological information from ultra-high-altitude stations
• Hydrometric readings for water management
• Reliable long-range communication even in deep winter

MORSE has enabled a resilient monitoring system that supports public safety, environmental protection and rapid response across the Italian Alps.