Intelsat Disaster Relief Program Provides Emergency Communications Support to Qualified Humanitarian Organizations within 24 Hours

Intelsat has a long history of lending its support to first responders and humanitarian organizations during times of crisis.

In 2020 alone, Intelsat utilized its leading global satellite network, connectivity expertise and partner relationships to provide on-the-ground satellite communications relief in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Laura on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Cyclone Harold on the Solomon Islands.

Intelsat is also a signatory of the 2019 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Crisis Connectivity Charter, a mechanism created between the satellite industry and the wider humanitarian community to make satellite-based communications more readily available in times of disaster.
Intelsat provides temporary, no-cost equipment and on-the-ground disaster communications support to qualifying humanitarian organizations in the aftermath of a natural disaster or other such crisis through its employee-driven Disaster Relief program. Based on Intelsat’s proven commercial emergency-response capabilities, Intelsat Disaster Relief resources can be deployed within 24 hours.
Satellite network providers, like Intelsat, are uniquely equipped to provide this type of immediate, reliable connectivity when electrical grids or terrestrial infrastructure are damaged or destroyed by storms, natural disasters or other crises. Recent advances in satellite hardware have also made it possible to deploy small, lightweight satellite terminals that are user-friendly and easy to connect to Intelsat’s satellite network.

Intelsat partners with Kymeta Corporation and Starwin on high-performance satellite terminals, and with Bcom on logistics and delivery support for its humanitarian Disaster Relief Program.
Kymeta provides its Kymeta™ u8 terminal, the world’s only commercially available flat-panel electronically steered satellite antenna explicitly built for mobility and designed for the needs of emergency response teams. Starwin provides two sets of its Auto Portable Terminal FL60P-E and a Starwin Mini Portable Terminal FL30P-M.

“At Intelsat, we have a long and proud history of leveraging our leading global network, technological expertise and unparalleled industry partnerships to make a positive impact in the world,” said Intelsat Disaster Relief Program Lead Gene Kearon. “With 416 global natural disaster events alone in 2020, there’s a need for our services now more than ever; Intelsat is proud to do its part to connect communities around the world when they need it most.”