A Year after Haiti. Is Communication Still a Big Issue in Preparedness?

Wow. A year has already passed since that mind-numbing earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince. Ringing in my ear since has been a soundbite from Jill Dougherty, CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent, reporting the morning after:

“But when you have an operation like this, you have to be coordinated, you have to know where you’re going. And one of the big issues at the beginning was just communication. Think of it—the State Department couldn’t even talk to the officials in the Haitian government initially.”

Can We Communicate Better Today?

What if a Haiti-like event—or any disruption that knocks out communications and power—happened in your community today? Could your government officials call anyone outside the area to coordinate critical resources?  Could your county emergency managers reach the governor to identify needs and request support? Could the governor and his or her staff email or call FEMA? Would anyone be able to tweet or update the community on Facebook or other social networks? Would they be in the same boat as Haitian officials were a year ago today?

If Haiti’s leaders had portable satellite communications kits with solar power, Washington could have known what they needed within minutes—instead of hours, even days—of the 7.0 quake.

To honor the memory of those lost a year ago and to respect the lives of people everywhere, let’s resolve to be resilient. Let’ accept the fact that communications networks can and do fail—more often than we like to admit. Without adequate communications for sharing situational awareness, people unnecessarily suffer—even die. Let’s commit to having a Plan B so lack of communications is never a question for rapid response when lives are at stake.

Happy Birthday BGAN

It’s been 5 years now since Inmarsat launched its Broadband Global Area Network service known as BGAN. This service has been one of the mainstays of media, emergency and disaster response communications around the world. It provides satellite reach-back for many first responder agencies and is an invaluable tool for remote operations. It is a key element in OODAkits – self-contained, portable communication survival kits for keeping people connected during crises.

Inmarsat has been at the forefront of mobile satellite services for over 31 years and is a recognized leader in mobile satellite communications. The first Inmarsat-4 was launched in November 2005. Three years later, all three Inmarsat-4s were in orbit, creating the full global network which supports mobile satellite broadband services on land, at sea, and in the air.

Today, there are almost 50,000 land mobile terminals activated, 13,000 FleetBroadband (maritime) and more than 1,100 SwiftBroadband (aeronautical).

Congratulations Inmarsat … and Happy Birthday BGAN!!

OODAlink Exhibiting at Inmarsat Government Conference in July

Mobile Satcom Trends on Agenda

Inmarsat, a pioneer in mobile satellite communications for over 30 years, is hosting a government conference in Virginia Beach, Va. this July. Topics slated for this two-day conference include:

• Government satellite communications trends
• Introduction to land mobile services
• Future in maritime services and terminals
• Naval case studies
• Using satcom for GIS and situational awareness for remote teams
• Encryption over SwiftBroadband
• SwiftBroadband on helicopters (demo)
• Future Inmarsat developments
• Updates on aeronautical services
• IsatPhone Pro introduction (Inmarsat’s latest global satphone)

Full agenda (subject to change)

OODAkits to be Demonstrated

As an Inmarsat partner, OODAlink was invited to participate and will have OODAkits (integrated with Inmarsat BGAN services) on exhibit during conference breaks. Live product demonstrations will also be conducted outside.

With no fee to attend, the conference is open to end-users and procurement officers from government agencies and the military. For more information, please visit the Inmarsat Government Services Customer Conference website.

What Does “OODA” Mean Anyway?

Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

That’s what OODA stands for. It’s a term coined by Colonel John R. Boyd (January 23, 1927 – March 9, 1997; pictured right), a United States Air Force fighter pilot and military strategist, whose theories have influenced both military and business strategies.

He used the term “OODA Loop” to describe the process that individuals and organizations use to react to events. The key to success is the creation of situations where one can make appropriate decisions more rapidly than others.
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Télécoms Sans Frontières – Communications for Life

We applaud the work of Télécoms Sans Frontières …

Their Origin: During missions responding to the crisis in the Balkans and in Kurdistan during the 1st Gulf War, Télécoms Sans Frontières’ (TSF) founders realized that, in addition to medical and food aid, there was a critical need for reliable emergency telecommunications services. Conflicts and emergencies often led to massive civilian displacement and separated families. And affected populations are often left with no communications infrastructure in place to find assistance and loved ones. To address this need, TSF bought its first satellite phone eleven years ago and the organization was born. For all missions today, TSF offers a 3-minute call to any affected family.

TSF soon found that the international response teams that deploy to emergencies also had a critical need for reliable telecommunications services in the first days after an emergency. TSF, therefore, expanded its operations, improved its technology, and began to establish rapidly deployable emergency telecommunications centers to serve UN, government, and NGO humanitarian workers, and developed a reputation for being among the first to arrive after disasters.

Mission Haiti 2010: Deployed in Haiti the day following the terrible earthquake that struck the country, TSF teams remain mobilized, day after day, supporting the humanitarian community and the affected population. Three calling centers have been established in Port-au-Prince, Carrefour and Jacmel that are open for the people of Haiti: Union School in Port-au-Prince, Adventistes in Carrefour and Rue Febrile in Jacmel.

Everyone should know more about the work of this organization!

Special Rates on Satellite Phones for Haiti Response

Iridium 9555 satellite phones with discounted airtime rates for Haiti response teams.

For organizations responding to the earthquake in Haiti, we can off the following discounted rates. Order by 3:00 PM Eastern for same-day shipping.

Iridium 9555 to Buy  -  $1,995 with 500-minute bundle
Iridium 9555 to Rent  -  $295/week + airtime (2-week minimum)

Other airtime options are available. Contact us to order or for more details.

More details on the phone: Iridium 9555.

No Portable Satcom in Haiti? How are They? What do They Need?

Watching CNN’s coverage of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti early this evening, I found myself gasping at the thought that key relief agencies and media outlets still find themselves struggling to communicate years after Katrina and 9/11.

The Miami Herald was not Connected

When asked in the early hours after the quake hit, on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” what The Miami Herald knew of the developing situation, their Carribean correspondent Jacquie Charles essentially said they didn’t know because they couldn’t connect with anyone there.

“Well, we’re still trying to get through because all the communications is down … We have people en route to Haiti right now and we also have a ‘stringer’ on the ground, but because the communications are all down, we cannot get through to anyone at this moment.”

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Take Your Network with You!

For better or worse – we live in a networked world. Even in the remote Hida Alps on a recent trip to Japan (to participate in the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sukyo Mahikari) – telephone and Internet connections were in demand for my fellow travelers who had made the trip to make a spiritual connection (with the spiritual lineage of Light). From this remote location, they felt the need to stay connected with people on the other side of the globe.

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OODAkit FAQs

Here are the OODAkit FAQs. But if we missed your questions, please post it the comment field below so we can include it!

Mobile Satellite Broadband – Expensive Huh!?

Many people are under the impression that satellite communications are expensive. Well – it’s really all relative.

Nearly all satellite service providers have customizable plans to match an organization’s budget constraints. Numerous satellite-based Internet services at remote (fixed) locations are available with monthly fees typically ranging from $49 to $99 (competitive with terrestrial rates).

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