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Satnews Daily
January 19th, 2010

Inmarsat + SkyTerra — Helping Hands For Haiti With SATCOM Assistance


Inmarsat and SkyTerra are collaborating to ensure that relief and recovery efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti have access to essential satellite communications. As a result of last Tuesday's earthquake, terrestrial communications networks are largely unavailable, leaving satellite communications as a critical alternative as organizations attempt to coordinate relief efforts.

The joint initiative between Inmarsat and SkyTerra will provide these relief organizations with enhanced access to mobile voice and broadband data services, including services such as Inmarsat BGAN which operates on the Inmarsat-4 constellation. Inmarsat works with a number of NGOs, humanitarian organizations and emergency responders that are currently operating in Haiti including Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF), WorldVision, NetHope and others. Inmarsat also provides mobile satellite services to governments responding to the crisis, including various U.S., Canadian and United Nations’ agencies. In addition to coordinating relief efforts on the ground, these organizations and government agencies will use Inmarsat satellite services to allow survivors of the deadly quake to communicate with loved ones in other parts of the world.

“SkyTerra and Inmarsat stand united to ensure that there are sufficient resources to provide mobile satellite communications services which are an essential tool for directing and coordinating life-saving humanitarian operations,” said Alexander H. Good, Chairman, CEO and President of SkyTerra.