[12-27-07 – Satellite Today] The Addressable Radio for Emergency Alert (AREA) has been tested and is ready to use in India for early tsunami warnings, according to Indian news sources.    
    AREA, which can send disaster alerts within seconds of transmission by government authorities, was designed by Lirneasia and WorldSpace, a U.S.-based wireless technology company. The system was tested in 32 Sri Lankan coastal villages by regional think tank Lirneasia and Sarvodaya, a charity. 
    "We are planning to introduce the product in India as early as possible," WorldSpace’s Senior Vice President S. Rangarajan was quoted as saying in Indian media reports. "Optimistically, we expect to launch the system especially in the coastal districts, which are prone to natural disasters, by 2008. Later, we plan to move to other regions," Rangarajan was formerly program director at the Indian Space Research Organization.