Iridium donates emergency telecom equipment

KATHMANDU:

Iridium Communications Inc, a satellite communications firm, has donated new emergency telecommunication equipment to International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The donation, which consists of 25 satellite phones and batteries, will help strengthen ITU’s telecommunication capacity in response to natural disasters.

Iridium has been assisting ITU with emergency telecommunication since 2007.

“This new equipment donation, combined with the reliability of the Iridium network, will greatly boost ITU’s capacity in deploying telecommunications during emergencies and will strengthen response and recovery mechanisms,” a press statement issued by ITU today quoted ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, as saying.

Recently, ITU deployed 35 satellite mobile phones and 10 Broadband Global Area Network terminals to earthquake-stricken Nepal. The equipment, which included Iridium satellite phones, ensures timely flow of information that is crucial for government agencies and other humanitarian actors involved in rescue operations.

“The work ITU is doing in Nepal, as well as in other disaster-stricken areas, is vital,” said Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium Communications.

He added that after an event such as the major quake of April 25 and series of aftershocks, much of the telecom infrastructure is often damaged or destroyed, making the need for communication supported by a global, reliable satellite network crucial to the recovery work in the days and weeks to come.

Source: THT