Day 5- Summary Update (3 of 6) - IT & Communications

Day 5- Summary Update (3 of 6)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS/IT ACCESS

While phone and internet access have improved, it remains spotty in Port-au-Prince. Blackberry’s continue to work well to text. Haitian government leaders have now gotten satellite phones, greatly improving communication.

A variety of actors are working fast to try to establish an alternative wireless system. Here’s an update from Inveneo, a Bay-Area company with experience in Africa and low-resource countries and schools. It is working with a consortium of humanitarian groups to help Haiti restore telecommunications:

Telecommunications and IT access:

This posting from our friends at Inveneo – bringing in wireless to Haiti. They have a model system tested in Africa that relies on solar and alt-energy grids that can connect wireless, and to a wired grid that was developed for low-resource and limited-grid infrastructure systems.

Haiti's destroyed telecommunications infrastructure (photo: CHF.org)
January 15, 2010

Dear Friends:
In the wake of the disaster in Haiti, we wanted to offer our services and expertise to help however we can. Much of the telecom infrastructure in and around Port-au-Prince has been severely damaged or destroyed. There is a great need for expertise in ICT to support the relief efforts - dependable communications infrastructure is vital in emergency relief operations to help coordination of recovery efforts.

Over the last six months we had been exploring expansion into Haiti, building relationships with nonprofits and the technical community to expand our innovative technology model into the country. In the face of this catastrophic earthquake, Inveneo feels an even stronger sense of commitment to improving the lives of the Haitian people.

What are we doing?

We have been asked by NetHope, a collaboration of 28 of the world's leading humanitarian organizations, to work with them on restoring communications to many of their members who operate in Haiti. Together, we have devised a plan to deploy long-distance wireless network connectivity from VSAT links being put in place by NetHope to several of their member NGOs operating around Port-au-Prince.

This network will support Internet access in and out of the country, carry voice communications until the cellular networks are repaired, and allow for collaboration and sharing of resources among NGOs. Establishment of networks like this is a cornerstone of our core competency and provides an avenue for us to deploy additional ICT infrastructure and participate in longer-term capacity building and reconstruction opportunities in country.

How can you help?

Inveneo will initially send two of our staff engineers to conduct this deployment starting the week of January 16th. NetHope has agreed to provide funds to cover the cost of the equipment that will be needed to establish these links. We are making an appeal for donations to cover other costs associated with our Haiti relief efforts.

All donations will be used only for Haiti relief efforts, including the project to get connectivity to the major NGOs in Haiti. You can donate using PayPal or Google Checkout. You can keep up to date on Inveneo's efforts in Haiti via RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.