In Kosovo, cellular phones offer hope, relief
April 26, 1999
By Hilary Smith
In recent weeks, U.S. and European telecommunications companies have
been pooling their resources to provide wireless phones, airtime and
money to the refugees, relief workers and media involved in the ethnic
crisis in Kosovo.
Several weeks ago, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Sadako Ogata appealed to telecommunications companies to donate
phone service for the refugees. France Telecom was one of the first to
heed the call, and in the Stankovic Transit Center, company volunteers
gave each refugee one minute of phone time.
According to a report in Newsweek, when the initial wave of refugees
arrived at the Brajde transit center in Macedonia, their first priority was to
charge their mobile phones. Others begged journalists for a few minutes of
talk time. In the fear and confusion, the familiar voice of a friend or family
member for many was overwhelming.
‘‘When the refugees hear their [loved ones] phone, they're so moved they
can't speak,'' said volunteer Christine Pouquet.
In the United States, Iridium L.L.C. and Motorola Inc. partnered to
provide Iridium satellite phones to the United Nations High Commission
on Refugees. Motorola has provided more than 60 phones, the first
shipment of which is being used by relief workers and refugees in camps in
Macedonia, including the camp at Neprosteno. The remaining phones are
en route to the Balkan region and are expected to be used at other refugee
sites.
Iridium and two of its European partners, Iridium Italia SpA and Iridium
Communications Germany GmbH, are providing the necessary satellite
airtime on the Iridium system. Iridium Italia also is assuming the landline
connection charges for calls made on the system, and Iridium
Communication Germany has sent a team of employees to the region to
handle distribution of the phones.
Robert J. Wussler, chief executive officer of US Digital Communications
Inc., which also donated Iridium phones to the relief organizations and
media in the area, noted that during times of crisis, ‘‘terrestrial
communications networks often can be rendered useless.''
US Digital and its subsidiary, International Satellite Group Inc., arranged
for Iridium phones to be sent to Kosovo almost immediately after the
fighting began. The number of phones shipped is well into the hundreds,
said Charlie Maynard, CEO of Insat, and the company is still heavily
involved in establishing better communication for refugees and workers
throughout the region.
‘‘The phones are all the way to Italy and other bordering countries and
some are even in London,'' said Maynard. An Insat spokesperson is
joining several relief organization representatives on a short trip to the area
April 28th. He plans to bring six phones to be used by the representatives
and relief workers.
Instead of donating equipment, other U.S. companies are choosing to
donate money to the various humanitarian organizations helping in the area.
Michael Kornfeld, spokesman for the Bell Atlantic Foundation, said Bell
Atlantic Corp. has set up a matching gift program for employees who wish
to donate funds to the effort.
‘‘We chose three organizations that have good reputations and do a
diverse number of things,'' said Kornfeld. Dollar-for-dollar matches of up
to $2,500 per person will be made through the end of May for every
employee check made out to either AmeriCares, Doctors Without
Borders or the International Rescue Committee. The foundation also is
making a $50,000 grant.
The traditionally poor, rural regions of the Balkans only recently have
begun to build out wireless telecommunications networks. In February,
New World Telecom of Oak Brook, Ill., signed an agreement with
Albanian Telecom to provide wireless telecom services there.
Latest Issue
Copyright 1999, all rights reserved.
Please report problems to webmaster.rcr@inlet.com
April 26, 1999
rcrnews.com
|
