Telecommunications in Disasters: An Evidence-Based Approach

Fundamental to our daily lives, telecommunications are critical when disasters hit. In the aftermath of a disaster, telecommunications are used to check on the safety of family members and have been employed to find people trapped in damaged buildings. Governments, emergency organizations, businesses, NGOs, and community groups need telecommunications to coordinate response and recovery efforts and communicate with the public. Its criticality is seen in the increasing centrality of the Internet and social media in disaster response and recovery. Finally, telecommunications are integral as communities attempt to return to normal after a disaster. Given this criticality, what can we expect…