By Telecom Lead Team: The GSMA has launched a Disaster
Response Program. This is in the wake of last year’s crisis in countries such
as Japan, Chile, Haiti and Pakistan. Several telecom markets do not have strong
disaster management policies at present.
The program is aimed at identifying how mobile operators
can support each other, improve resilience among disaster-affected networks and
outline how the mobile industry can best help on the ground following a
disaster.
The GSMA is planning to develop a long term plan to
strengthen collaboration between mobile ecosystem members, improve network
preparedness and restoration, and provide more effective and coordinated
support to humanitarian organizations and populations impacted by crisis.
Mobile operators, such as KDDI, NTT DOCOMO and SOFTBANK
MOBILE, have already demonstrated real leadership in their disaster response
efforts. We believe that this program will provide a significant opportunity to
strengthen existing partnerships and to build new bridges between mobile
operators and the humanitarian community which in turn will result in an
impactful and coordinated response when it’s most urgently needed,” said
Bernabè of GSMA.
The GSMA will build a community where it can share best
practices and create a robust, coordinated response mechanism to harness the
power of the mobile network. The Disaster Response Program will make
recommendations on the most effective support that the industry can provide to
mobile operators, humanitarian organizations and affected populations.
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