National, state and local government officials will be crossing their fingers and praying for a calm hurricane season, which started June 1. After all, little has been done to advance the stage of emergency preparedness, so there is not much else they can do at this late date. Even though today, we truly know better when it comes to the necessity of always-on communications when Mother Nature strikes, there have been no widespread deployments of satellite-enabled communication networks that could significantly assist those in need during and after the next Hurricane Katrina that comes knocking on our door.

In the eight months since Katrina devastated Louisiana and Mississippi, we and other press organizations have written about how the failure of communications hampered relief and rescue efforts. Likewise, debate and several reports, including one by a U.S. House of Representatives select committee that Democratic leaders boycotted and another conducted by the White House, documented a collapse of telephones, computers and radio networks. So it is safe to say that a significant analysis of the situation has occurred. Unfortunately, the same level of action has not taken place.

A proposed $45 million modernization had been deemed "cost prohibitive" by local officials before the 2005 hurricane season, and a gap-filler approach was months from completion when Katrina struck the Gulf region.

In each of the last two years, according to a U.S. Senate report, the Louisiana State Police asked Congress for $105 million to upgrade its communications network. When those efforts failed, the agency explored grant opportunities offered by the Department of Homeland Security, but its applications were turned down.

In the widespread collapse of communications systems after last year’s hurricane season — more than 3,000 phone lines were knocked out and callers to 911 frequently got a busy signal, if they got through at all — private companies were often more resourceful than government agencies in overcoming the challenges, the Senate report states.

But some satellite industry companies fought and continue to fight the good fight in an effort to prevent history from repeating itself. Globalstar Inc. and Orbit One Communications Inc. announced the purchase of an additional 10,000 OrbiTRAX simplex satellite tracking devices by various federal, state and private organizations, who will activate these units in preparation for the 2006 hurricane season.

Iridium Satellite LLC is offering a new public-safety emergency communications package for first responders. The suite provides a satellite phone, voice and data transceiver, multichannel fixed service, vehicular mount and docking stations and solar-powered chargers. Iridium timed the new package to correspond with the start of hurricane season, reiterating the fact that satellite communications are more reliable than most terrestrial solutions. Executives that I have spoken with at the company also have made multiple efforts to educate those in power regarding that network interoperability can improve VHF and UHF radios.

While some southern states are using Iridium networks, many states that could be affected by hurricanes this season are still far from being prepared with a solid communications platform.

Also, the Satellite Industry Association is launching a season-long education campaign for first responders and government officials in hope of further solidifying the importance that satellite communications play during natural disasters. In the end, buy-in must happen and proactive measures must be taken. We can no longer operate within a reactionary mind set when it comes to emergency communications.