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ITU Partners for Broadband Equipment in Haiti (2/11/10)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed a cooperation agreement with Singapore-based smartBridges Solutions, a provider of wireless broadband equipment, to provide WiMAX and Wi-Fi systems to strengthen ITU’s on-the-ground disaster response capabilities in Haiti.
The agreement will initially see the delivery of 10 carrier-grade WiMAX base stations and 40 customer premises equipment (CPE) devices to Haiti, which will be used to set up 100 wireless hot-spot locations in Port-au-Prince and other earthquake-stricken towns in Haiti.
The equipment is designed to provide fast wireless phone and Internet connectivity at 100 holding centers for internally displaced people. The wireless network will help reinforce ongoing efforts to bridge the gap created by the collapse of terrestrial networks, which remain largely nonoperational because of earthquake damage. SmartBridges Solutions will also assign specialist engineers who will work alongside ITU experts to help get the network up and running as quickly as possible.
Speaking from Haiti, where ITU continues to oversee network restoration efforts, Cosmas Zavazava, ITU chief of emergency telecommunications, said ITU has already contributed 100 satellite terminals to Haiti to help rapidly re-establish basic communication links, as well as a Qualcomm deployable base station complete cellular network to provide the wireless communications essential to disaster relief and clean-up efforts.
In addition, ITU allocated a budget of more than US$1 million to strengthen the disaster response effort in Haiti and last month launched an appeal to its members to help raise funds for long-term network rebuilding.
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