VoIP helps Haiti relief effort

With much of the telecom infrastructure destroyed in the areas effected by the Haitian earthquake a few weeks ago, communication for relief workers has been very limited. According to a profile in ComputerWorld, CARE, a U.S.-based aid group had to initially rely on text messages to keep up communications with their home offices and each other. As the situation improved, better cell phone coverage and satellite broadband have made communication better.

In late January, CARE's wired broadband was working intermittently and they were able to upgrade their speed to 1 Mbps. The aid organization brought their own IT team to Haiti to set up a VoIP phone system to make calls to the outside world. In addition, a communications aid organization, NetHope has been creating a large WiFi network connected to a VSAT connection and is connecting numerous aid organizations giving them access to broadband speeds capable of delivering Skype calls.

For more:
- read this ComputerWorld article [1]
- read this Wire Blog [2]

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