Kenyan Government receives 10 Iridium satellite phones from ITU for use during emergencies

The Government has received 10 Iridium satellite phones from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), for use in coordination of emergencies in the country.

The phones, valued at approximately CHF100,000, (which translates to Kshs, 10, 327, 380) have been loaned to the Kenya Government on gratis-basis for a period of three months. The Government will have the phones at its disposal for co-ordination of emergency services including floods, security and others, particularly in areas with poor or no network coverage on the terrestrial platform as the phones rely on the satellite platform.

Iridium Communications donated new emergency telecommunications equipment to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The donation, which consists of 25 satellite phones and batteries, will strengthen ITU’s telecommunications capacity in response to natural disasters.

The handover ceremony is set to officially take place tomorrow.

The donation comes a week after Iridium Communications donated new emergency telecommunications equipment to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The donation, which consisted of 25 satellite phones and batteries, will strengthen ITU’s telecommunications capacity in response to natural disasters.

Iridium Communications has been a long-standing member of ITU that has been assisting ITU with emergency telecommunications since 2007, when the first Iridium handheld mobile satellite phones and solar batteries were donated to the union.

Recently, ITU deployed 35 satellite mobile phones and 10 Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals to earthquake-stricken Nepal. The equipment, which included Iridium satellite phones, ensures timely flow of information that is much needed by government agencies and other humanitarian actors involved in rescue operations.

At the Third United National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March, ITU emphasized that with more than 7 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, almost 3 billion people connected to the Internet and with 4.9 billion connected devices, information communications technology (ICT) has a vast potential to support disaster risk reduction efforts.

ITU considers emergency telecommunications an integral part of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. Through innovative and easy-to-use technologies, local communities can be empowered to provide early warning signals and also act as first responders when the disaster strikes.