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Connections in a disaster situationreally can be a matter of life and death.So much so that a great deal is beinginvested into new technology to getdisaster response teams and thegeneral public connected, and fast.

When a disaster strikes, there willoften be multiple agencies involved inthe relief effort. This means that thereis an urgent need for coordinationbetween these different agencies, inorder to ensure that those there to helpknow exactly where that help is neededand that resources are being used inthe best way possible. The only way todo this effectively is by having a goodcommunication infrastructure in place.Teams on site also need tocommunicate with their colleaguesoutside of the disaster zone tocommunicate what additional supportis required, whether that be in the formof additional teams or the delivery ofprovisions, for example.

With mobile networks often going

down in an emergency, giving the publica connection can often also be a factor,ensuring that they can get help to themand each other as and when needed,as well as communicating with friendsand families elsewhere to reassurethem. It can also be about the disasterresponse teams being able tocommunicate with the affected public to

ensure that they remain informed andalso know of any particularly dangerousareas to avoid, for example.

News coverage from disasterscenes is a crucial element. After all, itis widespread news coverage thatpromotes emotion and often a responsein the general public right across theworld. In-depth global coverage from

The role of VSAT in disasterrecovery Satellite communications, and in particular VSAT systems, have

an important role to play in disaster recovery and emergencyresponse. Naturally, the very nature of a disaster means that itis impossible to know when and where it will occur, and veryoften it is in a location with little or no connection infrastructure.Of course, even if there was previously a connection, thedisaster can very often disable that. Being able to enter adisaster zone with all the equipment to quickly get connectedcan seriously impact the number of lives that can be saved, andVSAT technology is the key to enabling that. Here, AlvaroSanchez, Director of Sales and Marketing at Integrasys,outlines the role of VSAT terminals for emergencycommunications in times of disaster.

ICARUS: European Framework Program Project for Disaster Recovery Automation and Prevention with unmanned machines whereIntegrasys managed the communication infrastructure and fast deployment tools.

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disaster scenes is often met withcrowdfunding on a massive scale,enabling those charities andorganisations working in the field to helppeople affected by the disaster muchmore extensively and quickly. And let’sface it, that is what will ultimately savelives.

The VSAT challengeVery small aperture terminals (VSATs)are often the only way to communicatefrom within a disaster zone. Theemergence of high throughput satellite(HTS) has made VSATs much moreefficient and reliable. Small antennasand equipment are relatively easy totransport to even the remotest area, andconnection is possible anywhere in theworld. Technology has come on a greatdeal, meaning that, if the antenna is well

aligned and the team is trained tooperate the equipment, getting aconnection can be extremely quick.

However, whilst VSAT naturallybrings a wealth of critical advantagesfor disaster recovery, it is not withoutits challenges. One of those is the veryfact that other communications infra-structure will generally not be in place,either due to the nature of the locationor because the disaster has caused abreakdown in any existing infra-structure. Disaster teams may have totravel long distances to reach thedisaster zone, whilst carrying sensitiveequipment, and when they arrive withno existing communications in place,they are on their own in terms of gettingthat equipment setup and ready to go.

This is further amplified by the factthat most disaster recovery teams areunlikely to be highly trained in satellitecommunications, which means that themargin for error is high. A slight

misalignment of the antenna can causea multitude of problems and lead to anunstable or no connection and a greatdeal of time spent trying to get thatrectified – time which should be spentsaving lives.

Getting onlineIt is clear that getting connected fast canmake a huge impact for disasterrecovery efforts. There are two mainways that we, as an industry, can ensurethat happens.

The first is through better, moreautomated commissioning tools toreduce the possibility for human errorand subsequent issues, such asconnectivity losses or satell iteinterference. Integrasys has developedsmart tools to make it much easier forVSAT to fulfil the connectivity need inthese cr it ical environments bysimplifying the installation andcommissioning with Satmotion Pocket.

Today, a remote could becommissioned in one minute withoptimal performance and minimisingany interference. Integrasys activelyworks with the Satellite InterferenceReduction Group (IRG) to develop newsolutions that solve interferencechallenges. The company stronglybelieves in giving operators the righttools to make antenna alignment in thefield simple, quick, and error-free.

The other way is with automatedmaintenance tools, controlling networksin the region affected. By controllingnetworks within this region after thedisaster happened, we can be surewhich remotes should be revisited andwhich ones do not need revisiting. AtSatellite 2016, Integrasys released anew solution, Alusat, that enablescustomers to perform an unmanned RF

Alvaro Sanchez, Director of Sales andMarketing at Integrasys

At Satellite 2016, Integrasys released a new solution, Alusat

The company strongly believes in giving operators the right tools to make antennaalignment in the field simple, quick, and error-free.

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Disaster Recovery....

check on the overall network andascertain which remotes have been de-pointed or degraded and which onescould be used for recovery purposealready installed on site. Alusat caneven recover out-of-service remoteswithout the need of an installer on site.

Moreover, Integrasys can alsoensure a quicker and smootherconnection through training. If all thepeople responsible for operatingsatellite equipment in these situationswere kept up-to-date with the latesttraining, they would be much better

equipped to deal with any issues theymay experience in the field. Integrasyshas worked with the Global VSAT Forum(GVF) to deliver training sessions alongwith other satellite companies to varioussatcom users. One example is an eight-day project with twenty-one militaries inthe Asia-Pacific region or the interactiveGVF 514 Satmotion training on-line.These trainees gained valuableknowledge and understanding ofsatellite operations and equipment,which certainly will have made themmuch more efficient in their day-to-dayoperations involving satell itecommunications.

Saving livesWhen it comes to disaster recovery, itwill always be about saving lives.Satellite technology is helping thoseagencies working in disaster zones todo that faster and much more effectivelythan ever before thanks to smarter toolswhich automate the difficult processesin order to solve the challenges facingour industry.

ViaDireta: ViaDireta uses Satmotion to deploy much quicker in difficult areas andsituation within the Amazonas region.

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