Vital communication links restored after Peru Earthquake
Following the devastating earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter
scale that struck Southern Peru on
15 August 2007, killing more than 500 people and injuring as well as displacing
thousands more, ITU deployed 50 satellite terminals to help restore vital
communication links in remote and underserved areas. These links are critical in
coordinating rescue and relief operations.
The equipment is being deployed in areas where
telecommunications are not available. But these are most needed to facilitate
emergency teams as well as government organizations in establishing
communications to coordinate their work.
Emergency telecommunication is the key for government and humanitarian aid
agencies involved in rescue operations, medical assistance and rehabilitation.
Mountainous terrain in Peru has severely hampered access and the coordination of
rescue operations. The restoration of telecommunication resources have helped
bridge these gaps and provided the much needed link for the transmission and
reception of high speed data for e-applications and for voice communications.
This has provided succour to both government authorities and relief agencies as
well as to the affected population.
ITU has been responsible for transporting and deploying all the terminals as
well as paying for the air time for using them.
Twelve of the terminals are Global Area Network (GAN) terminals and 38 are
regional broadband global network satellite terminals (RBGAN). The 12 GAN
terminals are capable of providing voice, data and video services, and the 38
RBGAN terminals provide high-speed data communications.
ITU and TSF engineers configuring the equipment in Lima, Peru before
deployment.
Recent response efforts by ITU:
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