One of the difficulties after the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda in the PHL was the loss of power and telecommunications. In earthquakes and other disaster, the wireless cp is supposed to be the only thing that should not conk out. But conk out, the cp network failed.
A Chinese student reported that Huawei her employer has gone out with a telco to restore telecom with a help of mobile transmitter. Huawei has developed with Vodafone the Vodafone Foundation Instant Network that can restore communication in 40 minutes, weigh only 100 kgs and can be contained in four suitcases and shipped anywhere in the world instantly. The Huawei system has been used in southern Mindanao last December 2013 typhoon Pablo disaster
Why are our telcos earning billions not investing in these?
Mon Isberto an official of large telco said that several factors contributed to the loss of telecom in Samar Leyte: lack of supply of fuel, the corrosive salt in ocean surge that destroyed the telecom components. So maybe the learning curve for supertyphoon proofing telecom facilities is in order.
Japan looks to Taiwan for disaster proofing telecom
Japan is looking to Taiwan on how to disaster proof its telecom. One problem is the back up power supplies which last only for 2 hours. Now there are batteries that last for 24 hours relief and humanitarian efforts.
There is a current study in Japan for a multilayered telco system that consist of wifi, wi max and satellite communications that should be reliable in disaster.
Taiwan has developed International Technical Research Institute Open GeoSMS has been effective in coordinating relief and rehabilitation efforts.
In Australia, a Serval Mesh Extender system has been developed that can allow android phones to transmit messages without depending on telco network.
Instant Network solution by Vodafone and Huawei for disaster areas:
Here is the complete text:
VODAFONE AND THE VODAFONE FOUNDATION PARTNER WITH TÉLÉCOMS SANS FRONTIÈRES (TSF) TO HELP BRING EMERGENCY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TO DISASTER ZONES
Feb 16, 2011 00:00
Vodafone Press Release
The Vodafone Foundation agrees 3 year partnership to provide financial support to TSF
Vodafone to provide technical expertise and innovative mobile solutions, including a trial of Vodafone's instant network
[16 February 2011] The Vodafone Foundation is
deepening its partnership with disaster relief agency Télécoms sans
Frontières (TSF) to help bring emergency mobile communications to
disaster zones.
Télécoms sans Frontières specialises in bringing
wireless communications to affected areas to help humanitarian relief
agencies coordinate their efforts and to enable displaced families to
make a three minute call to reassure loved ones.
Under the three-year partnership, the Vodafone
Foundation will give the agency financial support of €1 million towards
its core costs. Vodafone will also be on-hand to provide TSF with
innovative mobile equipment for use in emergency situations alongside
technical expertise from its employees.
Vodafone has sealed the partnership by designing
and trialling a portable mobile network that could help relief workers
to reach victims more quickly. In the wake of a humanitarian disaster,
the first few days are critical in establishing an effective relief
effort. One of the major challenges facing relief agencies operating in
these chaotic conditions is the lack of an effective communications
network to get help where it is most needed.
To help solve this problem, Vodafone experts, working alongside Huawei at its Mobile Innovation Centre in Madrid, have developed a prototype portable GSM network that can be set up to handle free local calls among relief workers in less than 40 minutes.
Thanks to its innovative design, the prototype
can be packed into three suitcases which can be transported on
commercial flights, avoiding the inevitable delays that surround cargo
deliveries of bulkier equipment.
Vodafone, in collaboration with Télécoms Sans
Frontières and Huawei, recently ran trials of the prototype in a
simulated emergency situation in the Pyrenees in Spain. The
organisations are now evaluating the technology to see how effectively
it could be used in real operations.
"Once a disaster has occurred it is important to
get a communications network up and running as quickly as possible to
accelerate the benefits of aid relief," said Andrew Dunnett, Director of
the Vodafone Foundation. "We want to use our expertise and our
experience to help Télécoms Sans Frontières empower both aid workers and
victims in disaster zones across the world. This trial is a good
example of how Vodafone and the Vodafone Foundation are determined to
bring more than just money to the partnership."
"Télécoms Sans Frontières has operations in
nearly 60 countries worldwide that serve millions of victims and support
more than 550 humanitarian organisations. We have helped out in
emergencies such as the Tsunami in Indonesia and the floods in Thailand,
Pakistan and Colombia," said Jean-François Cazenave, President of
Télécoms Sans Frontières. "Vodafone has committed to give us access to
their people, access to their partners as well as access to their
innovation. Vodafone's support will help us to vastly improve our global
humanitarian relief capabilities. "
instant Network solution developed by Vodafone
and Huawei to establish mobile communications in emergencies. The system
weights less than 100 Kg and can be installed in around 40 minutes.
For more information about Télécoms Sans Frontières, go to:
http://www.tsfi.org/
For more information about the Vodafone Foundation, go to:
http://www.vodafone.com/content/index
