Satellite Technology Feature Article
March 10, 2010
Mobile Satellite Services Deployed for Haitian Rebuilding Efforts
By Janet Li, TMCnet Contributor
ICO Global Communications and its subsidiary, DBSD North America, have deployed satellite-based communications terminals with Internet access for use by relief agencies in Haiti.
The terminals, known as CFK-100s, operate in the 2GHz S-band, and can be used in both mobile and fixed environments. They were installed and activated on February 17 and are being provided as part of the relief efforts of the International Telecommunications Union. Service is being provided through the G1 satellite, which was launched in April 2008.
The equipment and airtime are being provided free of charge under the terms of a 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between ICO, the ITU, and the Commonwealth Business Council, which called for assistance, technology and airtime in response to natural disasters.
Laptop computers and peripheral equipment are being provided for the project through a financial grant from the Hong-Kong-based RYTHM Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the QI Group, a member organization of the CBC.
In addition, technical services to support the initiative were donated by Space Systems/Loral, manufacturer of the G1 satellite; Intelsat, a provider of fixed satellite services worldwide; and Hughes Network Systems (News - Alert), a provider of two-way satellite communications technology for the G1 satellite.
“Communications satellites are uniquely capable of providing vital connectivity in circumstances where terrestrial networks either don’t exist or are inadequate or impaired, as we are unfortunately seeing in Haiti,” said Benjamin G. Wolff, chairman and CEO of ICO Global.
Janet Li is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
