By Dora Mejia, VP LATAM at Speedcast
The number of climate-related disasters has continued to grow across North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean in recent years. Statistics from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information’s (NCEI) ‘2023 Billion-Dollar Disaster Report’ showed that there were 28 separate weather and climate disasters in this region in 2023 alone, which surpassed the previous record of 22 in 2020. The cost of cleaning up and restoring stricken areas has been estimated to be at least $92.9 billion. As the annual Atlantic hurricane season gets underway, it is anticipated that this trend will continue to increase. According to the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project team, an “extremely active” season is on the horizon with a projected 23 named storms, including 11 hurricanes, five of which are expected to be major hurricanes.
In the midst of a natural disaster response, when minutes and hours can’t be wasted, quickly deployable and reliable communications options are essential, especially during times of extreme crisis. It is critical that first responders, emergency services personnel and disaster recovery teams are able to communicate and coordinate, and provide up-to-date, accurate information to enable informed decision-making and ensure safety. When traditional infrastructure has been impacted or destroyed by a disaster, reliable connectivity alternatives for rapid response can be lifesaving.
Overcoming the threat of natural disasters
Climate disasters come in many forms, whether they are windstorms, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or another extreme weather event. All of these hold the potential to negatively affect communications, and this is why you need to have the right infrastructure to prepare, respond, and recover from a disaster.
By utilizing connectivity solutions to collect metrics from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors located in high-risk areas, natural disasters can be predicted more accurately. This information can then be used to support prevention and mitigation efforts, ultimately reducing the potential damage and suffering caused by disasters. The implementation of mobile connectivity solutions also enables first responders and evacuation coordinators to have a wider reach and better capabilities, allowing them to save lives, maintain public safety, and fulfill the basic needs of those affected by the disaster. Providing connectivity for temporary camps, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), portable hospitals, and resident relocations can be valuable in assisting an affected community in rebuilding after a disaster occurs. But how do you navigate complex situations to provide connectivity to hard-to-reach and disaster-affected areas?
Choosing the right solution
Satellite-based options enable reliable backup connectivity for critical services. People and organisations can continue communicating, processing transactions and using stored resources within the cloud, while remaining informed about the latest developments and hazards and coordinating recovery efforts. The latest enhancement in rapid deploy connectivity kits offer simple and reliable communications, delivering game changing solutions in this field. These kits enable swift connectivity in the most challenging of environments, but emergency response decision makers face a number of considerations in selecting the most suitable options.
The elements to consider
Connectivity path selection can be key. Low latency and high-speed connectivity are vital, so solutions that incorporate Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which operate closer to Earth, will offer the most benefits in this area.
Portability is another element to consider. How easy is the kit to deploy, carry and set up? Many of today’s lightweight, compact kits can be easily transported and deployed by a single user, easing the need for manpower which can be best used in other aspects of the recovery process. Integrated infrastructure and intuitive interfaces can be used to simplify installation further, providing an easy way for users to manage the network they are operating on.
As these networks will be deployed in extreme conditions, kit durability and resilience are key. To best withstand harsh environments, options with weatherproof enclosures and ruggedized components will ensure a reliable, seamless network. Kit versatility also ensures that users across a variety of fields, including Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), humanitarian aid groups and emergency responders can put the solution to use based on their needs. This includes voice, video, Internet of Things (IoT), and other critical communications services.
In emergency situations, it’s also important to have the right level of support alongside the solution itself. For organizations with and without IT and network experts in the field when disaster strikes, a connectivity provider that can deliver rapid and tailored technical assistance, training and maintenance support is critical. This ensures responders can focus on recovery instead of troubleshooting their connectivity.
Delivering reliable communications
When bundled as part of a comprehensive kit, many of the latest connectivity options – like Starlink and OneWeb – can streamline key elements of disaster recovery, bringing high bandwidth connectivity to remote and cut off regions quicker than ever before. These kits offer immediate deployment capabilities, rapid yet reliable connectivity, and greater adaptability. They also help establish joint protocols for governments, first responders, NGOs, and disaster service providers in regions across the Americas that are prone to disasters.
These protocols are crucial for ensuring faster response times, improving the distribution and verification of donations, and facilitating a seamless resettlement process for refugees. Through efficient coordination and utilization of advanced connectivity solutions, such as those offered by Speedcast and similar providers, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities can be strengthened, resulting in lives saved and reduced impact from natural disasters.
Recently, Speedcast worked alongside the Panamanian Government during a multi-day disaster response drill and training scenario in which Starlink devices were used to enhance the connectivity options available to first responders. When solutions like Starlink are used as part of a rapid deploy kit, organizations and first responders have the tools they need to swiftly establish relevant communications networks, reduce the impact of climate disasters, and ultimately save more lives.
Dora Mejia leads SpeedCast sales teams for the Latin America since early 2016 when SpeedCast acquired Newcom International. Dora joined NewCom in 2004 when it was founded and helped grow the company into a leading force in the global communications industry. Dora brings to her position more than 15 years of experience in integrated global telecommunications. Prior to joining NewCom, she spent three years at Verestar, overseeing terrestrial network optimization and product development for the teleport operator’s that had offices in Europe and U.S. She also managed the company’s engineering team and oversaw pricing and vendor negotiations. Before Verestar, she ran her own telecommunications consulting firm which specialized in helping companies optimize their communications solutions. Dora started her career as an Electronic and Telecommunications Engineer in Colombia with Carvajal Group, being responsible for budget planning, vendor negotiations, and satellite and IP network implementation. SpeedCast is a leading global network and satellite communications service provider offering high quality managed network services in more than 100 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas; It also offers a global marine managed service that caters to customers around the world. SpeedCast (SDA (ADX)) is a public company based in Hong Kong. With 40 international sales and support offices, with 30 Teleports, it has a unique infrastructure to serve companies from all sectors around the world.
