Information and communication technologies, movement traces, and the digital infrastructure that enables modern spatial data systems. This twig covers the flow layer rather than the physical cables (which are Infrastructure).
Scope
- Geodetic reference frames: The mathematical models (ETRS89, DVR90, WGS84) that make all spatial data interoperable
- Coordinate reference systems: Projections, transformations, datum definitions
- Spatial data infrastructure (SDI): Metadata catalogs, CSW services, INSPIRE discovery services, WFS/WMS endpoints
- Sensor networks: IoT streams and telemetry traces (the flow evidence, not the physical device)
- Digital platforms: Data portals, APIs, digital twins, open data catalogues
- Grid systems: Statistical grids, DGGS (H3, S2, DGGAL) as algorithmic spatial frameworks
Key Role: The Enabling Layer
ICT is the enabling layer for all other twigs. Without geodetic reference frames, no spatial data is interoperable. Without SDI, no data is discoverable. This twig doesn’t describe the world — it describes the systems we use to describe the world.
Classical Theme Mappings
| Standard | Theme | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 19115 | Location | |Location |
| INSPIRE | Coordinate Reference Systems | |Coordinate Reference Systems |
| INSPIRE | Geographical Grid Systems | |Geographical Grid Systems |
| UN-GGIM | Global Geodetic Reference Frame | |GGRF |