Intelsat`s Tony Trujillo today testified before the US House of Representatives, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, about the importance of satellite technology in providing quick and reliable communications during disaster recovery efforts.
Trujillo, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Services and Government Relations of Intelsat, is also chairman of the Satellite Industry Association (SIA). In his testimony on behalf of SIA before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Trujillo emphasised the critical importance of the following initiatives and recommendations:
* Satellites should be regarded as an essential component in all future critical telecom network planning.
* Satellite systems must be pre-deployed to a cadre of trained professionals.
* Satellite personnel must be credentialed as first responders.
* Satellite spectrum must be preserved and protected.
Trujillo stressed the importance of applying the lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to improve the future of disaster relief and recovery telecommunications, as various components of the disaster relief efforts are evaluated for their effectiveness.
Intelsat and others in the communications satellite sector have played a vital role in facilitating communications for rescue personnel, charity organisations, evacuees, communications carriers and news organizations. Intelsat was able to reconfigure capacity and donate service to help cellular providers re-establish their networks, and to quickly provide capacity for emergency services via mobile vans for relief agencies, and mobile offices and command centres for the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and law enforcement agencies.
"While the outages on terrestrial networks severely impeded the ability of first responders and others in the recovery and relief efforts, satellite technology, because of its inherent resilience and flexibility, performed flawlessly," said Trujillo. "Incorporating satellite components into any terrestrial network before a disaster strikes provides critical redundancy and access to immediate communications that can be easily and quickly deployed to increase the effectiveness of disaster recovery and relief efforts."
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Intelsat is a global communications provider offering flexible and secure services to customers in over 220 countries and territories. Intelsat has maintained a leadership position for over 40 years by distributing video, voice, and data for television and content providers, government and military entities, major corporations, telecommunications carriers, and Internet service providers. Intelsat`s reach, power and expanding solutions portfolio deliver information reliably and quickly to every corner of the globe. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
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