PARIS, February 8 /PRNewswire/ --
-- 3i3s Identifies Ideal Partnership to Support Telecommunications in Times of Disaster
Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) today received from Nissan Europe and Eutelsat a 4x4 vehicle fully equipped with a satellite communications centre. The vehicle and its equipment will ensure TSF's prompt mobilisation at disaster sites in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and will enable TSF to strengthen its response to emergency situations.
Represented by TSF's President, Jean-François Cazenave, the handover took place today at Eutelsat's Paris headquarters. The initiative was piloted by 3i3s, an international institute dedicated to global airspace and applications which aims to highlight technological applications as well as affirm humanitarian and social benefits. Every year, 3i3s identifies partnerships to help NGOs (Non-Government Organisation) carry out missions by using space technology.
Télécoms Sans Frontières plays an essential role in providing communications by deploying specialist teams within 48 hours of an emergency anywhere in the world. Since it was set up in 1998, its mission is to supply telecommunication capabilities for humanitarian aid teams on the ground and to help victims restore contact with the outside world by calling their families and friends.
To assist the mobilisation of these specialist teams, Nissan has donated a 3.0L Patrol 4x4 vehicle which will allow easy access to remote locations under often difficult driving conditions. The Patrol has a reputation for dealing with the harshest terrain and its ability to reach otherwise inaccessible places has made it the vehicle of choice for other aid organizations. The vehicle will be on emergency duty on a permanent basis.
This 4x4 vehicle will strengthen TSF's capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East and will facilitate the rapid deployment of a Mobile Communication Centre so that humanitarian workers have immediate access to top-class performance communications (Voice, Broadband Internet and fax, mainly).
It will increase the mobility of TSF responders in the field - the organization's major asset and indispensable in emergency situations - in often difficult working conditions. As the Eutelsat antenna can be dismantled and is portable, it can also be deployed in emergencies worldwide.
Eutelsat has equipped the Patrol with a 1.2 metre satellite dish. Equipped with automatic pointing, the dish is connected to a D-STAR broadband terminal for a suite of communications services ranging from Internet access, Voice over IP and fax to full videoconferencing. As a fully satellite-based service D-STAR is totally independent of terrestrial networks. The system installed on the Nissan Patrol will take less than 30 minutes to put into operation and can also be dismantled and set up as a fixed communications centre.
Télécoms Sans Frontières
-- Created in 1998 and now the leading NGO specializing in emergency telecommunications
-- 3 operational bases for worldwide coverage and response anywhere within 24 hours
-- Missions in 50+ countries, serving millions of victims, 350+ UN agencies and NGOs
-- Supported by some of the largest telecommunications companies and foundations
-- Since 1998, TSF has assisted in 60 emergencies on all 5 continents
TSF uses highly portable and light satellite terminals deployable within minutes with a worldwide coverage - and teams in our three regional bases are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2007 alone, TSF deployed in 10 countries to the benefit of over 50,000 people and more than 250 NGO and UN agencies. TSF has 3 deployment bases, in France, Nicaragua and Thailand.
With its 24-hour monitoring centre, TSF emergency aid crews can intervene anywhere in the world in less than 48 hours after any catastrophe or conflict and in a matter of minutes set up an operational centre on site.
This satellite-based telecom centre offers broadband Internet, phone and fax lines and technical assistance.
For more information please contact Oisin Walton at +33(0)5-59-84-43-60 or via email: communication@tsfi.org. You can also visit TSF's website at http://www.tsfi.org.
For further information please contact:
Penny Szczepaniak,
Corporate Communications,
Nissan Europe
pszczepaniak@nissan-europe.com
Tel: +33-1-30-13-57-87
http://www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
Vanessa O'Connor,
Corporate Communications Eutelsat Communications
voconnor@eutelsat.fr
Tel: +33-1-53-98-47-57
http://www.eutelsat.com
Michèle Martin,
Media Relations, 3i3S
Michèle.martin@3i3s.org
Tel : +33-1-55-25-86-60
http://www.3i3s.org
For more information please contact Oisin Walton at +33(0)5-59-84-43-60 or via email: communication@tsfi.org. Penny Szczepaniak, Corporate Communications, Nissan Europe, pszczepaniak@nissan-europe.com, Tel: +33-1-30-13-57-87; Vanessa O'Connor, Corporate Communications Eutelsat Communications, voconnor@eutelsat.fr, Tel: +33-1-53-98-47-57; Michèle Martin, Media Relations, 3i3S, Michèle.martin@3i3s.org, Tel : +33-1-55-25-86-60
