When most people think of Twitter (News - Alert), they often think of a social networking platform that elicits responses such as “Did you hear what that celebrity said?” or “Wow this company just tweeted this great promotion!” But there may be other uses for the social media site that have yet to be tapped.

This week, Twitter announced that it has teamed with two of the world’s largest satellite operators to give its users the ability to use the platform’s SMS messaging capabilities during emergencies. This would allow users with no access to Twitter on their mobile devices to use the platform through SMS, or text, functions. Even if telephone and broadband lines are down, with satellite help Twitter can now still be used and will serve as an alternative means of communication in the event of a major disaster, officials said.

Apparently, using Twitter for purposes besides Tweeting is catching on as the National Weather Service, for example, is now enlisting the help of Twitter as a means of spreading the word about natural disasters such as tornados. By using a combination of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook (News - Alert), people can get up to date information on weather and disaster warnings quickly.

If these efforts are combined with satellite capabilities and tools, Twitter will be even more useful and could actually be one of the only lines of legitimate communication if a huge natural disaster did occur.

Satellites are the only wireless communication infrastructure able to avoid major damage from natural disasters, as the main computers in charge of receiving and sending messages are located in outer space. Deploying easy-to-use wireless communication systems is a top priority in disasters, and cellular phone towers and land mobile radios can be knocked out easily, making satellite communication a viable option that many emergency officials are integrating into their planning. Social sites that are in place offer easy to use communication platforms that citizens could use to communicate with each other.