Interest in satellite communication services jumped in the wake of the 2005 hurricane season in the United States. In many ways, that interest phased out in 2006 due to a much quieter storm season. However, the deeper appreciation for satellite communication services has not waned, and the satellite industry must find ways to capitalize on the opportunity.

The damage inflicted upon terrestrial communications systems throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina was widespread. Nearly 3 million customer telephone lines and more than 1,000 cell sites were knocked out of service across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Nearly three weeks after the storm, only 60 percent of the cell phone networks in New Orleans were working properly, and roughly 2 million calls were failing.
In stark contrast to the problems with the terrestrial networks, Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) were available during and in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, and Fixed Satellites Services (FSS) helped provide infrastructure and emergency voice, video, and data communications in the affected areas. As the hurricane reached land, CNN and Fox News used an Inmarsat mobile satellite terminal to provide live video reporting. More than 20,000 Globalstar, Iridium and Mobile Satellite Ventures satellite phone and terminals were deployed to the Gulf Coast in the days immediately following Katrina. Both XM Satellite Radio and DirecTV provided FEMA and the Red Cross with a dedicated broadcast station for disseminating hurricane-related information.
Satellite-enabled technologies provided everything from transportable ATM machines to high-speed Internet access that allowed families to stay connected. The organizations using these satellite communications ranged from federal, state and local government agencies; schools, churches and local relief organizations; and large and small businesses.
The availability and efficiency of satellite systems in the wake of Katrina and other disasters in 2005 led to increased interest in these products from a host of established and new satellite customers. Spurred by the rollout of new  disaster preparedness offerings, customers eager not to suffer through another season of prolonged communications outages eagerly signed up for satellite services.
Now a relatively light 2006 hurricane season seems to have softened the demand for those products, according to industry executives. “I think the hurricanes definitely led to an increased focused on emergency planning, but the surge of interest has definitely started to fade,” says Morris Shawn, president and CEO of Canada-based Roadpost Inc. “It’s always difficult for corporations to spend when the best-cost scenario ends up being a waste of dollars. There are only so many events like Katrina.”
Martin Fierstone, CEO of Global Satellite USA of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has had a similar experience. “As far as investing in satellite communications, we certainly saw a substantial amount of business out of southern Florida, which is susceptible to hurricanes,” he says. “But since this past season we haven’t had a hurricane, [and] interest has been fading through the season. People have short memories.”

Other Roles For Satellite

This does not necessarily mean that companies and individuals are settling into the mindset of waiting until the days following a disaster to do anything about restoring lost communications. Though the initial surge of sales for short-term communications systems has fallen off, awareness of the long-term need for solutions remains, says Fierstone. “Although on one level, awareness has seemed to have dropped down, on another, it’s expanded beyond hurricanes and natural disasters,” he says. “The awareness of the possibility of terrorist attacks on security systems, transportation, communications — just about everything — is not going to go away. I think as satellite networks become more accessible there will be a steady corresponding growth.”
Bo Norton, vice president of channel sales for Telenor Satellite Services of Rockville, Md., also sees increased demand for satellite-enabled solutions in other areas where communications are critical. “The hurricanes increased awareness of the value of local satellite communications and have generated attention from state emergency managers throughout the country who are looking at applications that go beyond hurricane responses,” he says. “The federal government is studying satellites for uses as varied as homeland security, border control and networking international facilities. Businesses are now considering satellites as tools for the continuity of operations. They are aware that though they may not be used every day, they should be tested, implemented and ready to use when needed.”
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at the forefront of U.S. government disaster relief operations, is one of the organizations looking at satellite technologies in a new way, says Aaron Skolnik, an electronic media specialist and part of a team that manages broadcasting for public affairs for the agency. “We have a much larger role today than we did prior to Katrina,” he says. “There is an increased emphasis on the visual. FEMA and Homeland Security are tasked more and more to bring visual imagery to the public via the media, especially in areas of devastation.”
FEMA uses commercial satellites and uplink trunks to perform this mission. Prior to Katrina, the agency outsourced trucks and crews on an ad hoc basis but often encountered problems with having equipment in the right place at the right time. Now FEMA has contracts in place to have this equipment available ahead of time. “This simplifies it quite a bit from our perspective,” Skolnik says. “The big thing the media wants is twice daily briefings. We really got it going during Katrina. Several times we moved our resources. In places like Baton Rouge we had the only uplink. We were the only game in town.”

New Services

For the future, companies are developing technology that will make satellite systems more available, provide more capacity and make them easier to use, officials say.
The capability of handheld satellite communication devices used in 2005 was limited because of low bandwidth, but systems such Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), and a variety of new disaster relief packages introduced by Iridium’s value-added partners, should improve this situation.
Historically, Eagle Broadband’s satellite phone was limited by the requirement for line-of-sight access to satellites, but with a new component, it now can access communication from inside buildings or other locations where direct satellite access may be blocked. GMPCS Personal Communications offers a guaranteed rental availability program. IDL has created a multi-channel satellite system that connects private branch exchanges, public switched telephone networks and telephones to the Iridium system. World Communication Center offers a kit that provides telephone, e-mail and Internet accessibility for a team of 32 emergency workers to communicate with each other and headquarters.
Ted O’Brien, vice president of marketing and development for Bethesda, Md.-based Iridium Satellite LLC, says that one of the major applications for its services that has emerged from Katrina has been the tracking of supplies and equipment. “Satellite communications have allowed relief authorities to know when supplies are dispatched, where they are in the delivery process and how close they are to where they are needed,” he says. “We saw during Katrina that where supplies were initially designated might not be the appropriate place, so satellite communications were able to contact the pilot or truck driver to change his route to a better location.”

Keeping Awareness High

While such technology advancements could prove critical in the wake of future large-scale disasters, it also will be crucial for the satellite industry to continue to raise awareness of these systems, says O’Brien, who has participated in numerous post-Katrina panel discussions throughout the United States. “One area that needs more attention in our industry is sharpening the distinctions to the public of the various systems and to see what’s appropriate for any one situation and what is not,” he says. Much of the public is not clear of the differences between MSS and FSS and that portable handheld systems can be used immediately in a disaster, whereas the FSS infrastructure may initially be knocked out. However, as that infrastructure becomes operable, users who do not require mobility may find FSS for needs such as contact family members or for media feeds.
Tony Trujillo, chairman of the Satellite Industries Association (SIA), has testified before Congress on critical public policy lessons learned from disasters like Katrina and has expressed the frustration the industry feels because of certain barriers keeping satellite communications from becoming even more effective. Trujillo and the SIA have offered four recommendations to the U.S. government that will benefit the satellite industry and the public.
First, satellites should be regarded as an essential component of all future critical telecom network planning, as they provide redundancy, ubiquity and resiliency in the event terrestrial networks are rendered useless.
The second is that satellite systems must be pre-deployed to a cadre of trained professionals. One problem exposed by Katrina was that portable satellite communications systems which could have been pre-positioned on-site prior to Katrina were not available immediately.
The third is that satellite personnel must be recognized as first responders. The day after Katrina hit, satellite repair crews were ready to begin restoring service. Unfortunately, too many of these professionals could not get permission from government officials to enter the affected areas.
Finally, satellite services should receive government protection from potential terrorism, flexibility from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and sufficient allocation of spectrum.
If these recommendations are enacted, and industry and the U.S. government continue to raise awareness of the technology, it will be a benefit to satellite providers and the public.