Telecoms Sans
Frontieres Welcomes Eutelsat Communications as New Partner
(18 June 2007) Eutelsat
Communications, one of the world's leading satellite operators, and Telecoms
Sans Frontieres (TSF) today announced the signature of an agreement whereby
Eutelsat becomes an official partner of TSF to support its humanitarian aid
operations throughout the world.
The announcement was made at
Eutelsat headquarters in Paris by Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO and
Jean-Francois Cazenave, President of Telecoms Sans Frontieres.
Based in
Pau and with regional offices in Bangkok (Thailand) and Managua (Nicaragua),
Telecoms Sans Frontieres is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) providing
emergency telecommunications services. Since it was set up in 1998 its mission
is to supply telecommunications capabilities for humanitarian aid teams on the
ground, and to help victims restore contact with the outside world by calling
their families and friends. Less than 48 hours after learning of an emergency,
TSF can arrive on the scene anywhere in the world and deploy telecommunications
centres offering broadband Internet access, voice communications, fax lines and
all the IT equipment needed for a field office.
TSF also develops
programmes for deploying a long term communications centres in regions
recovering from man-made and natural disasters. An example of this is a centre
in Niger which opened in February this year and which uses Skylogic's D-STAR
product and capacity on Eutelsat's W3A satellite to provide ICT services to
local and international aid organisations working with populations of the
region of Dakoro. To give a scale of the benefit of the new centre, before it
was deployed, organisations had to drive six hours to send an email. Operated
by Afrique Telecom, the centre is equipped with four computers, a printer and
scanner linked to a D-STAR terminal. TSF provides access to all organisations,
local and international NGOs and governmental agencies working in
Dakoro.
"TSF is proud to partner with Eutelsat," declared Jean-Francois
Cazenave. "This is an important step for TSF's development as it will enable
our teams to stay longer in emergencies. It will also open new possibilities
for TSF to support affected populations in ongoing emergencies notably in
long-term established refugee camps by deploying long-term communications
centres."
Giuliano Berretta responded: "Through our experience with TSF
we have seen how satellites are an absolute core requirement for efficient
recovery operations following natural or man-made disasters. We are very
pleased through this official partnership to support the leading NGO in
emergency telecommunications, whose commitment to rapid restoration of
communications networks plays a critical role in relief operations around the
world".
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications is
the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 23
satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as
the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas,
Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of
revenues. At 31 March 2007, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting over 2,500
television channels and 1,000 radio stations. More than 1,000 channels
broadcast via its Hot Bird video neighbourhood which serves over 120 million
cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The
Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile
telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and
broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime
and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and
operates services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises,
local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa,
Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries
employ 515 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27
countries.
(source: Eutelsat Communications)