Telecom Key to Haiti Reconstruction, State Department Roundtable Told
U.S. telecom companies’ internal disaster and emergency response operations, preparedness and timely response are critical in recovery efforts in Haiti, companies said on a roundtable at the Department of State Friday. The Haiti earthquake, a major test for emergency response capabilities, underlined the need for better coordination, they said.
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All U.S. carriers have had a variety of programs and initiatives that include direct support for leading relief organizations, donating wireless devices to help re-establish communications and enabling mobile donations, their executives said. One lesson learned is how to prioritize assets and coordinate with different relief partners, said Eric Loeb, a vice president with AT&T. Further streamlining of coordination is necessary, said Harold Salters, a director with T-Mobile USA.
Verizon assisted the FCC’s Communications Sector Assessment Team, offering recovery and restoration recommendations in Haiti, said Richard Price, chief business continuity officer. The carrier’s Global Emergency Response and Assessment Team strategically positions assets and resources to support local and regional response and restoration teams, he said. The carrier also invested in self-healing network mesh technologies, he said. Sprint Nextel’s Emergency Response Team offers voice and data communications during disasters and other emergencies for public and business clients, said Maria Cattafesta, a senior counsel.
Unlike the major national carriers, Clearwire’s response in Haiti started a little bit unclear, said Paul McCarthy, director of spectrum development. “We are unclear who’s the mirror operator there” using the same frequency or technology, he said. The company quickly identified an operator using the same frequency and focused on network restoration, he said. As a young company, Clearwire is still learning and looking to develop its internal emergency response operation, he said.
The first few hours are the most critical for rescue efforts, said Kelly O'Keefe, an advisor with Iridium. It’s also critical to maintain stock of equipment for emergencies and work with distribution partners to ensure supply chain continuity and facilitate rapid deployment, she said. Preparedness efforts also include equipping phones with solar panels for charging in situations where the electrical grid is damaged and promoting prepositioning of phones, she said. Governments should be prepared by prepositioning emergency equipment training and maintaining equipment, she said. Intel prefers to offer “in-kind expertise” in areas like broadband wireless networks, client computing and mobile data centers, said Mathew Taylor, senior solutions architect. Key steps during disaster response include assigning an experienced crisis coordinator and identifying senior core teams, he said.
Alcatel-Lucent urged fixing Haiti’s only direct submarine cable system, knocked out by the earthquake, said senior director Marie Royce. Submarine cable systems in the Caribbean region support economic development and will be key to Haiti reconstruction, she said. The company is assisting Haiti telecom provider Netcom with recommendations to make the network more reliable and resilient, she said. Motorola has coordinated shipments of communications infrastructure to the Haitian National Police, said Casey Hastings, a director of global government affairs. Cisco’s disaster response capabilities include global incident management, tactical operations and establishing relationship with major government agencies, significant enterprise partners and customers and other non-profit partners, said Paul Chiswell, a director of customer assurance.
Google’s instrumentation indicated a re-growth in Haiti of traffic to that company’s websites by the end of May, said Randy Neals, a program manger. Recovery of Internet activity hasn’t returned to pre-earthquake levels, he said.
A challenge is to deploy at the right time with the right people, said Jack Deasy, a director with Inmarsat. He acknowledged the help of social media and Web 2.0 capabilities during disasters. Another challenge is to provide real-time information to the population and decision-makers who may be in the disparate locations, said Sirius XM Vice President John Archer. The company is open to discussion with Haiti based on need and potential for humanitarian benefit, he said. Sirius is participating in the effort to upgrade the presidential-level Emergency Alert System (EAS) by providing XM EAS receivers to the nation’s primary entry points and state emergency response centers, he said.