Now communication can be set up in just hours, or even minutes, after a man-made or natural catastrophe. A ten-kilo GSM mobile phone network developed by European researchers WISECOM.

WISECOM stands for Wireless Infrastructure over Satellite for Emergency Communications, has developed hardware and software allowing rescue workers to respond faster in the wake of a catastrophe. Whenever disaster strikes,  communications is often the first infrastructutre to get affected.  But it is the foremost thing that is needed at the time of disaster.

According to WISECOM’s coordinator Matteo Berioli, “We developed lightweight, portable (or transportable) systems that allow rescue workers to set up voice and data networks in a very short time”.

The hardware can then link up to satellites to connect with the world mobile and landline networks, says Berioli. “The system works anywhere there is satellite coverage, which is to say almost everywhere in the world,” he adds.

Now the system is ready for commercialisation, and some of the partners are actively pursing opportunities – though, in part, that will depend on public services. “These types of systems are generally purchased by governments, or civil security forces,” notes Berioli.

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