The 3rd Annual GVF Oil & Gas Communications Europe Conference (O&GCE3) on 12th & 13th May 2010 is also the 9th event in the global Oil & Gas Communications Series organized by GVF and UK-EMP. Continuing the Series into its fifth year, the 2010 conference takes the ‘Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics’ focus beyond the territory of the hydrocarbon-bearing sectors of the North Sea, continuing far to the north to the Arctic Ocean region.

Markets for satellite communications equipment and services have expanded to fill the gaps in terrestrial broadcasting and telecommunications networks. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East, which is the focus of this article.

Despite the disappointments of the Copenhagen climate talks, climate change is fast becoming a reality for business.  It is partly a matter of planning for the future.  The political battles rage on, taking different paths in different parts of the world, but the overall trend is clear.  Activities that produce greenhouse gases will be penalized economically.   More efficient use of resources from energy to water will become a high priority.  Companies face a choice of when, not if, to “go green.”

After reaching around 4.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions by the end of 2009, ITU expects the number of mobile cellular subscriptions globally to reach five billion in 2010, driven by advanced services and handsets in developed countries and increased take-up of mobile health services and mobile banking in the developing world.

At the 4th Annual Navy Satcoms Users Workshop organized by  the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) during the AFCEA West show in San Diego last February 3rd, senior U.S. Navy officials affirmed that the US Navy’s reliance on commercial satellite communications will continue to grow in the next few years.

At the 4th Annual Navy Satcoms Users Workshop organized by  the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) during the AFCEA West show in San Diego last February 3rd, senior U.S. Navy officials affirmed that the US Navy’s reliance on commercial satellite communications will continue to grow in the next few years.  

The increasing use of telecommunications and ICTs for emergency communications, international agreements, new national policies, partnerships for cooperation in emergency are important tools already in place for even faster response to disasters.The International Telecommuni-cations Union (ITU) as the UN agency encharged with telecom-munications and information communications techno-logies (ICT) is leading the efforts in harmonizing technologies, services and establishing standards for emergency com-munications.

In my previous column I indicated that, as a follow-up to that contribution, I would look more closely at the character of, and the wider issues surrounding, the application of ICT solutions to the fields of both Complex Humanitarian – or Natural – Disasters, and to Complex Humanitarian – or Man-made – Emergencies.  

The increasing use of telecommunications and ICTs for emergency communications, international agreements, new national policies, partnerships for cooperation in emergency are important tools already in place for even faster response to disasters. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the UN agency encharged with telecommunications and information communications technologies (ICT) is leading the efforts in harmonizing technologies, services and establishing standards for emergency communications.

The increasing use of telecommunications and ICTs for emergency communications, international agreements, new national policies, partnerships for cooperation in emergency are important tools already in place for even faster response to disasters.The International Telecommuni-cations Union (ITU) as the UN agency encharged with telecom-munications and information communications techno-logies (ICT) is leading the efforts in harmonizing technologies, services and establishing standards for emergency com-munications.