ITU, Intelsat and ITSO agree to strengthen telecom resources for emergency response

By eGov Innovation Editors | Apr 8, 2011

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GENEVA — The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said in its website that it has reached an agreement with Intelsat S.A. and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) to strengthen emergency telecommunication resources to quicken the response in the aftermath of natural disasters.

“Recent catastrophes that have wrought havoc around the world demonstrate eloquently that there is an increasing need for effective and timely deployment of telecommunication resources to help countries in emergency and disaster relief,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré.

According to ITU, whenever a request for satellite capacity and other assistance is made by a member state following a natural disaster, ITU will inform Intelsat and ITSO to consider the request.

Intelsat is a provider of satellite telecommunications services with over 50 satellites in orbit around the world, while ITSO is an intergovernmental organization that ensures Intelsat's compliance with contractual obligations of providing international public telecommunications services.

“When emergencies occur in remote or geographically isolated places, satellite providers like Intelsat are often the ideal solution for solving the communications needs,” ITSO Director General José Toscano said.