Mobile tech crucial in disaster response

MANILA, Philippines - The global organization of mobile network operators and vendors has underscored the critical role played by mobile services in disaster response.

Research highlights “their extraordinary resilience and their ability to facilitate critical communication between humanitarian agencies, affected populations and the international community,” the Groupe Special Mobile (GSM) Association stated on its website.

This was evident in the wake of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (PDRRMCs) of Bohol and Cebu depended on mobile network services to coordinate and map out their response efforts.

“Undisrupted communication was important to ensure that calls of residents in distress got through to us and that we, in turn, dispatched the appropriate assisting agencies and efficiently deployed resources, given the scale of the devastation,” said Darwin Bernasor, a member of the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response 117 (TARSIER 117), the rescue and emergency response unit of the Bohol PDRRMC.

Smart made available to the Bohol and Cebu disaster management councils the Smart 4G LTE technology for faster data connection — a crucial aid in life-and-death situations.

The services of Smart and its sister company, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (Sun Cellular), experienced minimal disruption. Their signals in the two provinces were fully restored immediately after the quake.

Most of Smart’s sites withstood the impact of the temblor, a test of the durability of its network infrastructure.

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This enabled Catigbian Mayor Virgilio Lurot to reach out to the different barangays, using his wife’s Smart mobile phone after his own phone, which was on another network, lost signal. Loon is one of the towns hardest hit by the earthquake.

“Only Smart was operating when we got to Loon and Tubigon,” recounted Alex Rey Pal, officer-in-charge for the Visayas of the People’s Television Network Inc. Although power had been cut off, he was able to send videos online using Smart’s connection.

Pal was originally bound for Tagbilaran on board a RoRo (roll-on, roll-off) vessel. However, due to the damage sustained by the seaport, the vessel had to be diverted to Tubigon.

“As we approached the port, the vessel ran aground, and we had to spend the night on the ship,” said Pal, who is also publisher and editor-in-chief of the Dumaguete Metro Post and a correspondent of a Manila-based daily.

“Thankfully, the Smart signal kept me connected to the world even from the grounded ship, four kilometers from shore,” he said.

“Our extensive and resilient network has enabled us to help government and humanitarian agencies coordinate disaster response in the past. But technology on its own will not be enough. Our partners have proven to be valuable assets in helping us provide post-disaster relief,” said Ramon Isberto, head of the Smart Public Affairs Group.

“Libreng tawag” (free calls) and charging stations were put up in the command stations, the telco’s facilities and even in areas where commercial power had yet to be restored.

Internet connectivity and airtime load were also made available to humanitarian agencies like Red Cross Youth, volunteer groups such Chocolate Hills Amateur Radio League (CHARL) and the Cebu and Bohol blogging communities, GDG/GBG, which are helping out in crisis mapping efforts.

“The ‘libreng tawag’ service offers great relief to people in affected areas,” said Neil Sanchez, Cebu provincial disaster management officer.

“The Internet connectivity and the airtime load provided by Smart facilitated coordination with our counterparts in Bohol, which was in an even worse situation,” he added.

Rehabilitation may take longer than expected, as the extent of the damage becomes clearer. But for as long as communication lines are open, the progress of the work is ensured. 

“Mobile’s role in disaster response will only grow, and as the ecosystem becomes more complex, a better understanding of how the global GSMA community can lend support is needed,” the GSMA said.