Several companies announced Sept. 8 they would be providing assistance to Katrina relief efforts in the Gulf area:
- EMS Technologies Inc. said it is supplying communications hardware to support restoring communications. Three of the company’s divisions, EMS Satcom, EMS Satellite Networks and EMS Wireless, have responded with either mobile satellite communications equipment or with wireless infrastructure equipment to restore cell phone coverage in the stricken areas.
- Stratos Global Corp. is teaming with Inmarsat to provide free-of-charge satellite-based communications services to allow victims of Hurricane Katrina and relief workers providing assistance in the area to contact family and loved ones. Stratos will deploy a mobile communications headquarters equipped with Inmarsat GAN (Global Areas Network) and mini-M mobile satellite terminals to areas impacted by the storm, and to the staging areas where relief workers are concentrated. The GAN system also will provide Internet, data, video and fax services to support relief efforts. Stratos is supplying mobile satellite services to customers who are providing relief and recovery to Hurricane Katrina victims, including the National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), American Red Cross, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and a number of U.S. federal government agencies.
- Eagle Broadband, said it provided its Satmax non-line-of-sight satellite communications technology at no cost to the U.S. Army enabling satellite-based voice and data communications to facilitate rescue, relief and recovery efforts for victims of hurricane Katrina, enabling their disaster response teams to establish and maintain Iridium satellite-based voice and data communications in any non-line-of-sight environment such as within buildings, command centers or other locations where outdoor use is not possible or practical. The company also has offered to send additional Satmax units to other federal, state and local civilian government and military agencies as well.
