The ITU has deployed 100 broadband satellite terminals in the flood-affected districts of Pakistan, the organization announced Nov. 2.
    The ITU said it has been working closely with the Pakistan government to restore communication links. The satellite terminals are being deployed to restore communications and provide a platform from which telemedicine applications/services will be provided in remote areas that remain difficult to access and where medical attention is a priority in the aftermath of the disaster.
    The ITU also announced Nov. 1 that it had deployed 40 broadband satellite terminals in an effort to restore communication links in the aftermath of a tsunami triggered by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and a volcanic eruption that hit the Indonesian archipelago in two separate incidents.
    The ITU will work with emergency communications partners Iridium Communications, Thuraya and Inmarsat to ensure connectivity for satellite handsets, which will be used by local authorities to facilitate humanitarian assistance to disaster victims. The ITU also has put on standby a Qualcomm Deployable Base Station, a cellular system designed to enable wireless communications aimed at strengthening response and recovery mechanisms in a disaster zone.