Here, there and everywhere

The emergency relief operations that follow natural disasters rely heavily on communications technology. But during disasters, telecommunication networks are among the first things to be swept away. Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) was born with a simple mission - to help individuals and rescue organisations through the early days of a disaster. Today, this non-governmental organisation (NGO) can set up fully-equipped communication hubs, offering global voice and Internet connections, anywhere in the world less than 24 hours after a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis has begun. This paper discusses the technologies and methods used by TSF in order to fulfill their mission.