Date April 09,2008

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has committed to send mobile satellite telecommunications equipment to Catanduanes for use in disaster preparedness and response during the typhoon season.

The commitment was made by Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, head of the ITU department for Less Developed Countries, Small Island Island Countries and Emergency Telecommunications, during the ITU Mission’s meeting with key members of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) headed by Governor Joseph C. Cua.

Accompanying Dr. Zavazava and Wisit Atipayakoon, specialist of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, during their half-day visit to the island last April 2 was Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Assistant Secretary Cesar V. Sarmiento.

"We have agreed that you just send a message, when you are getting into the typhoon season, to request for mobile satellite telecommunications equipment and we will loan it to you free of charge," the ITU mission head told the PDCC. The satellite gear can provide voice communication, high speed data transmission, and internet access.

"You can use the equipment as much as you want and we will pay the bills. After three months when the disaster is gone, you can return it to us in Geneva so other countries can use it, too," Zavazava said.

However, he added, the provincial government can enter into a co-financing agreement for the permanent basing of mobile satellite terminals in Catanduanes. "Tell us what you need, we can do costing, help you acquire equipment to make it permanent here," he emphasized.

For more information, go to Catanduanes Tribune at  http://www.catanduanestribune.com/Apr-09-2008/TopStory/Detail.aspx?newsID=4017

Geneva, 16 October 2007 — The International Telecommunication Union has deployed 25 satellite terminals to help restore vital communication links in the aftermath of severe floods that have affected the eastern and northern regions of Uganda since August this year. Several districts were ravaged by torrential rains and flash floods that swept through the country taking lives, marooning over 140 000 people, destroying road and communication links, and submerging crops, compelling the Government to declare a state of emergency.

With the restoration of communication links, designated government officials and other humanitarian agencies are able to more efficiently coordinate relief operations. The mobile terminals are transported by helicopter to serve people most in need.

"I noted with concern and sadness, the suffering and destruction that has been caused by floods that hit the eastern and northern regions of Uganda," said Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. "There is no doubt that communication links are essential to ensure a more effective and coordinated relief effort. This is why we have, upon request from the Uganda Communications Commission, quickly deployed the resources at our disposal."

For more information, go to Reliefweb at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-7833NC?OpenDocument

New Vision (Kampala)16 October 2007
Posted to the web 17 October 2007

Davis Weddi
Kampala

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given Uganda 25 satellite telephones to help restore vital communication links following flooding in the eastern and northern regions.

A statement from the ITU yesterday said the terminals are to be used by designated government officials and other humanitarian agencies, to coordinate relief operations in the affected districts.

Isaac Kalembe, a spokesperson at the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC), confirmed that the terminals were in the country. "The Thuraya satellite phones will be handed over by the ICT minister on Thursday."

The offer follows a request by the communications commission.

"There is no doubt that communication links are essential to ensure a more effective and coordinated relief effort. This is why we have, upon request from the Uganda Communications Commission, quickly deployed the resources at our disposal," said the Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, an ITU director.

Patrick Masambu, the UCC chief, thanked ITU and said the gadgets would facilitate relief efforts.

For more information, go to allafrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200710170027.html

The United Nations telecommunications agency has deployed 50 satellite terminals in remote areas of southern Peru as part of its efforts to restore vital emergency communication links to the region in the wake of last month's deadly earthquake.

The 50 "plug and play" terminals, which are portable devices the size of a small suitcase, allow users to make calls to telephones, access the Internet and provide other voice, data and video services, such as telemedicine.

The Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said in a statement released today that the terminals are being deployed to areas where telecommunications were severed because of the damage caused by the quake. Rescue operations in Peru have been hampered by the often mountainous terrain.

"We take very seriously the role of telecommunications in mitigating disasters," Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.

"Whenever a country is affected by a disaster, we quickly mobilize and dispatch transportable telecommunications resources that can be used for general communications by government authorities and to provide e-services such as telemedicine that are crucial for saving human lives," he added, voicing hope that the contribution would help Peru cope with the recent massive earthquake.

For more information, go to Scoop Independent News at http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00183.htm

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agreed with ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) to use satellite communications for improved global response in the face of natural disasters.

ICO will provide airtime on its F2 satellite for disaster prevention and effective response in the aftermath of natural disasters through both voice communications and other telecommunication applications, including telemedicine. An hour's airtime will be provided every day for use through ITU to help countries maintain preparedness, provide early-warning information, and elicit quick response. In the event of a disaster, this time will be adjusted according to the demand to facilitate rescue-and-rehabilitation efforts.

"The partnership that we have established is an important milestone towards ITU's effort to save human life," said Dr. Hamadoun Touré, secretary-general of ITU. "Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas. In the digital age, we are able to provide an information communications technology (ICT) lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded, or destroyed."

ITU will manage and coordinate emergency telecommunications; CBC will provide content and manage the entrepreneurial skill development program.

For more information go to Radio Resource Media Group at http://www.radioresourcemag.com/news.cfm

GENEVA, Jun 20, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited (ICO) (NASDAQ:ICOG) today announced that ICO, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), an organization which serves to foster cooperation between business and governments, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU's objectives are to establish collaborative linkages between the Parties in the area of Emergency Telecommunication Systems and Global Information Systems, and more particularly, for ICO to provide state and non-state organizations free access to ICO's F2 orbiting MEO satellite for non-commercial purposes.

ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Toure commented, "The partnership that we have established with ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council is an important milestone towards ITU's effort to save human life. Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas. In the digital age, we are able to provide an ICT lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded or destroyed. We thank ICO for being a reliable partner from the satellite industry and for contributing innovative technologies."

"ICO strongly supports the goals of the ITU and the CBC, and we are pleased to be able to contribute ICO's satellite services to these efforts," added J. Timothy Bryan, ICO's CEO. "ICO's development and implementation of S band technology globally, including our announced vendor initiatives for ICO North America and the ICO P MEO system, will serve our interests well as we continue to work with key suppliers to create advanced user terminals to access F2 for humanitarian and emergency uses."

"CBC is pleased to work with the ITU and ICO to contribute towards development and disaster preparedness. What is required for the future is increased economic empowerment of wider segments of society, to lift people out of poverty and give them new opportunity. This can be achieved by bringing technology and innovation to the service of many. We need to pursue the 'democratisation of knowledge', by making technology more widely and freely accessible. By means of tele-education and entrepreneurial development programmes CBC will equip and prepare global citizens for economic empowerment and disaster management," said Dr Mohan Kaul, Director General, Commonwealth Business Council.

For more information go to ICO at http://investor.ico.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=250140

Voice and data service will help co-ordinate response to major global incidents

ITU forges partnership with ICO Global Communications and Commonwealth Business Council

Geneva, 20 June 2007 — ITU reached agreement today with ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council to utilize satellite communications for improved global response in the face of natural disasters.

Natural calamities have spread mayhem around the world, severely impacting the lives of people and the environment. The recent spate of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides and forest fires have left behind a legacy of lost and broken lives, economic upheaval and sheer devastation, imposing long-lasting impediments to sustainable development and global efforts for poverty reduction. The poor, especially those living in remote and isolated areas, are the most vulnerable and disaster-prone.

In 2006 alone, 21'800 people succumbed to natural disasters, with 95 per cent of those killed residing in least developed countries. USD 65 billion of economic loss was recorded worldwide.

For more information see Reliefweb at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/DHRV-74D3AH?OpenDocument

The United Nations International Telecommunications Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/15.html">ITU) today joined forces with a communications firm and a business organisation to employ satellites to bolster the global response to natural disasters.

The poor - especially those living in remote and isolated areas - are most vulnerable to calamities, which wreak havoc and impede sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts.

"Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas," said Hamadoun TourôUITU's Secretary-General.

Last year alone, nearly 22,000 people lost their lives due to natural disasters, with 95 per cent of the deaths occurring in the least developed countries.

"In the digital age, we are able to provide an [information and communications technology] lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded or destroyed," Dr. Toure said.

For more information, go to  News Blaze at http://newsblaze.com/story/20070621152328tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html

GENEVA, June 22, 2007 - Satnews Daily - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has reached an agreement with ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) to utilize satellite communications for improved global response in the face of natural disasters.

Natural calamities have spread mayhem around the world, severely impacting the lives of people and the environment. In 2006 alone, 21,800 people succumbed to natural disasters, with 95 per cent of those killed residing in least developed countries. These calamities inflicted economic damage estimated at $65 billion worldwide.

ICO Global Communications will provide airtime on their F2 satellite for disaster prevention and effective response in the aftermath of natural disasters through both voice communications and other telecommunication applications, including telemedicine. An hour’s airtime will be provided every day for use through ITU to help countries maintain preparedness, provide early-warning information and elicit quick response. In the event of a disaster, this time will be adjusted according to demand to facilitate rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

"The partnership that we have established with ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council is an important milestone towards ITU’s effort to save human life," said Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-general of ITU. "Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas. In the digital age, we are able to provide an ICT lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded or destroyed."

While ITU will manage and coordinate emergency telecommunications, CBC will provide content and manage the entrepreneurial skill development program.

 For more information, go to SatNews.com at     http://www.satnews.com/stories2007/4658/

By NNN-UNNS

June 21, 2007: International satellite communications for disaster avoidance and relief will be established after a joint agreement this week between the ICO Global Communications and the Commonwealth Business Council for the ‘democratisation of knowledge.’

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in 2006 alone 21,800 people succumbed to natural disasters while millions of homes and businesses were lost.

Under the agreement, ICO Global Communications will provide airtime on their F2 satellite for disaster prevention and effective response through both communications and other telecommunication applications. The ITU will be granted an hour’s airtime to assist countries in maintain their preparedness and early-warning information for effective response.

For more information, go to idm.net.au- Asia Pacific's Online Resource for Information Management at http://www.idm.net.au/story.asp?id=8551

Geneva, Jun 21 (Prensa Latina) The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is forging agreements to use satellite communications for improved global response in the face of natural disasters.

Natural calamities have spread mayhem around the world, severely impacting the lives of people and the environment.

The recent spate of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides and forest fires have left behind a legacy of lost and broken lives, economic upheaval and sheer devastation.

This, says a ITU press release, leads to long-lasting impediments to sustainable development and global efforts for poverty reduction. The poor, especially those living in remote and isolated areas, are the most vulnerable and disaster-prone.

In 2006 alone, 21.8 million people succumbed to natural disasters, with 95 per cent of those killed residing in least developed countries.

Economic losses for USD 65 billion were recorded worldwide.

One of ITU s agreements provides for ICO Global Communications to give airtime on their F2 satellite for disaster prevention and effective response in the aftermath of natural disasters through both voice communications and other telecommunication applications, including telemedicine.

An hour's airtime will be provided every day for use through ITU to help countries maintain preparedness, provide early-warning information and elicit quick response.

In the event of a disaster, this time will be adjusted according to demand to facilitate rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-general of ITU says "Satellite communication provides a platform to deliver a wide range of services and applications even to remote areas. In the digital age, we are able to provide an ICT lifeline to disaster victims and humanitarian personnel entrusted with coordinating rescue and relief operations, especially when terrestrial communications infrastructure is disrupted, overloaded or destroyed."

While ITU will manage and coordinate emergency telecommunications, the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) will provide content and manage the entrepreneurial skill development programme.

For more information, go to Prensa Latina at  http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B64D32E0C-77D7-4522-96D0-9AB08B19A717%7D)&language=EN

The International Telecommunication Union along with the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) organized a three-day Forum 26-28 September on Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management. The meeting at Ochos Rios, Jamaica adopted a road map for better coordination in the use of state-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) aimed at improved disaster preparedness and mitigation. This includes:

Speaking at the opening session of the Forum, Mr Philip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy & Commerce of Jamaica, reiterated that the Caribbean countries are among the most vulnerable areas in the world to tropical cyclonic events. "Following the 2004 Ivan hurricane disaster and Emily in 2005 it became evident that the lack of communications was one of the significant weaknesses of the regional disaster management framework," Mr Paulwell said. "Both intra-agency communications as well as public information have been identified as requiring improvement." He added that we should "move forward through the creation of an effective process for the development of early-warning information using ICT and media broadcast technologies, develop a publicly accessible website containing real-time disaster monitoring information, and implement a regional database of survey results and findings for selected disaster events to support the project’s engagement with policy-makers."

The three-day forum focused on improving early-warning communication and disaster preparedness in the Caribbean region, developed practical tools to augment national disaster management strategies and initiatives, built effective relationships among national and regional stakeholders in effective disaster management and mitigation, assessed the impact of recent disasters and discussed the role of ICTs in disaster risk prevention, preparedness, relief and reconstruction.

Still reeling from the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, the most active and destructive in history, experts in the Caribbean region decided to look the storms in the eye and prepare for future disasters. In 2005, a record number of 27 storms and as many as 13 hurricanes pounded the vulnerable Caribbean coastline. These included Hurricane Wilma, the most intense in recorded history, and Katrina, the most destructive with an estimated USD 50 billion in insured damage.

Access to information is of paramount importance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster for relief agencies to coordinate search-and-rescue, medical intervention and rehabilitation efforts. There is an urgent need to establish effective and comprehensive communication links between the affected area, national disaster response facilities, and with the larger international community. This is particularly important for countries with fragile economies and countries with special needs, such as least developed countries and Small Island Developing States.

More information on ITU's press releases website at http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2006/18.html

Manager of the Nevis Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Lester Blackett and Nevis Island Administration Director of Information & Public Information Officer with the Nevis Disaster Management Committee, Huey Sargeant are attending a three-day Forum entitled 'Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for effective Disaster Management'. 

The 2005 hurricane season wreaked havoc in the Caribbean region. Never before had the Atlantic seen 27 tropical storms -- including four in category 5 -- and as many as 15 hurricanes in one season. The storms left a death toll of 2,280 people in their wake, with more than 3 million people displaced and an estimated USD100 billion in economic damage.

In response to a call for action from the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-06) to develop ICT-based solutions to cope with emergency situations, the International Telecommunication Union along with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) is organizing the Caribbean Forum 2006 on Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management. The event, which will be held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Sept. 26-28, 2006, aims at improving early-warning communication and disaster preparedness in the Caribbean region while reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and mitigating their effects through the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

The three-day forum will address policy, regulatory and technological issues related to emergency telecommunications and look at practical ways by which ICT can help mitigate disasters.

More information on Public CIO - Folsom,CA,USA at http://www.public-cio.com/newsStory.php?id=2006.08.31-100816

Stepping up its efforts for disaster mitigation and relief, the United Nations today announced an agreement with the Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company to provide portable satellite terminals, a major factor in rescue operations.

“The tsunami that wreaked havoc in south East Asia, the Kashmir earthquake, the Suriname floods, and the Indonesia earthquake have demonstrated the power of emergency telecommunications in saving lives and coordinating efforts during rescue operations such as the setting up of telemedicine links,” said Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary-General the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which concluded the accord.

Thuraya, the United Arab Emirates satellite-based company, is contributing handheld satellite terminals along with solar chargers, while ITU will pay for airtime at discounted rates offered by Thuraya and cover transportation costs of telecommunications equipment to and from disaster-hit areas. ITU will also provide its expertise in technical and operational training for government officials involved in rescue missions.

In the light of a spate of recent natural disasters, the World Telecommunication Development Conference meeting in Doha in March called upon ITU to develop solutions in emergency telecommunications directed at improving early-warning communication, disaster preparedness and mitigation.

More information on Noticias Info, Spain at http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=200035&src=0