The satellite industry’s response to the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake January 12 in Haiti that claimed over 200,000 lives was swift and decisive. Within hours satellite operator Intelsat established two communication networks—one in C-band and one in Ku-band—to provide critical communication links.
Many companies donated equipment, services or satellite capacity to assist in the relief efforts. Among them were SES World Skies which donated capacity on five of their satellites as well access to teleport facilities. CapRock Government Services provided end-to-end communications support to the US. Marine Corps, while Spacenet set-up a Rapid Resonse Team to support units deployed in Haiti.
Inmarsat’s BGAN service was made available to US government crews and non-profits working in Haiti such as Telecom Sans Frontieres. GlobeCast set-up a broadcast facility in neighboring Dominican Republic to facilite coverage of the disaster. Nearly all the major satellite companies including Echostar, Vizada, Eutelsat, Telenor and many others provided crucial support to the relief efforts.
Satellite technology plays an important role in disaster recovery, especially during the first stages after a catastrophic event when terrestrial and other infrastructure are down. Often satellites are the only link to the outside world in the disaster areas. This was proven time and again in recent disasters such as the Tsunami in Asia a few years ago, and as in Haiti, the satellite industry responded well to that too.
"Natural 
disasters can leave countries feeling helpless when traditional communication infrastructure fails. The loss of contact with the outside world impedes obtaining the critical aid that is needed in the aftermath. Satellite communications is often the first communications technology to provide restoration following unfortunate events such as the Haitian earthquake," said Jay Yass, Intelsat’s Vice President, Network Services.
However just as the vital role of satellite technology come into focus during disasters, they can also show its limitations. Satellite technology as a communication medium can effectively coordinate relief activities and ensure that help is provided where it is needed most, when it is needed. But as we painfully saw in Haiti even with the right communication equipment at their disposal, relief efforts can be uncoordinated and crucial supplies do not reach their intended recipients. Satellite technology, like any technology is just a medium, they are operated by humans who sometimes have different agendas or are just inherently inefficient.
The other limitation lies in the satellite industry itself. The outpouring of support among satellite companies, while most admirable, were largely ad hoc and not coordinated on an industry-level.
There should be international bodies that prepare and anticipate such disasters even before they occur and have the ability to mobilize resources from satellite companies at a moment’s notice, instead of the individual efforts by companies that we have seen in the last few weeks. I’m sure if there were such a coordinating body, it would have mobilized a lot more support from the industry and maximized resources so that those that need it most, get it in time.
There has not been a lack of effort on the part of the industry. The GVF for example, has had a program educating its members and the public on appropriate responses to disasters, as does the Satellite Industry Association. What is need is to take these efforts to the next level and have a dedicated group whose sole task is to coordinate industry efforts during emergencies and other catastrophic events.
-------------------------------------------------------
Virgil Labrador is the Editor-in-Chief of Satellite Markets and Research based in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of two books on the satellite industry and has been covering the industry for various publications since 1998. Before that he worked in various capacities in the industry, including a stint as marketing director for the Asia Broadcast Center, a full-service teleport based in Singapore. He can be reached at mailto:virgil$satellitemarkets.com
