WEF, ITU move in to help restore telecom links in disaster-hit zone, says Awais
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari Wednesday said all out efforts were being made by the ministry and its allied departments in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to restore and re-install telecommunication links in earthquake hit areas.
"Restoration of telecommunications links is extremely critical for supporting the disaster relief operations in the earthquake struck region and we are doing all we can with the help of world agencies to put these links back in place," he said while chairing a high-level meeting to review and coordinate efforts involved in establishing a reliable communication network in the disaster zone.
He said offers of help from the international telecommunication community were pouring in, and the SCO which is charged with providing communication services to the region, had been made the focal point for all such assistance. "The enormity of the task infront of us is such that we are glad to accept all offers of assistance, in particular fortelecommunications services, since without information, it is next to impossible to coordinate the relief effort," he said.
He said the Special Communication Organization (SCO) was doing a stellar job, but the private sector too assist in such efforts by rolling out their operational networks as quickly as possible. "The immediate need is for communication equipment that can be run in remote areas where there may not even be any electricity, and hence satellite phones with ancillary solar powered batteries would be the most optimum choice," he said.
The minister noted with satisfaction generous response by the telecommunication industry in the country to the disaster, and the players to work together to prepare a coordinated response to the disaster. "It isnot just the financial contributions that the companies plan to make to the Emergency Relief Fund, but also what is needed is their technical expertise to deploy telecom solutions in the region," he said. He disclosed that the World Economic Forum had offered assistance in the form of satellite based connectivity, with the entire deployment cost to be borne by the WEF. "Likewise, the International Telecommunication Union has confirmed that they will be providing 40 Inmarsats satellite phones along with an expert to provide training on the initial set up of this equipment," he said, adding the World Bank had also informed the ministry of its willingness to offer grants for the procurement of satellite-based equipment.
Awais Leghari directed the ministry officials to channeled all such efforts into the SCO headquarters which was the best positioned to coordinate the work on the ground. He said the ministry had also forwarded a proposal to the government, requesting that all mobile phone operators, as well as those that have a WLL license, be allowed to offer their services in the AJK area for a limited duration.
"This step," the minister added, "will be a major driver in the restoration of normal phone service for the region, since nearly all the telecom companies in the country, expressing solidarity with the disaster hit region, have offered to increase their penetration in these areas."
He noted that only the SCO had the formal license to offer telecommunication services in AJK, but given the scale of the disaster, SCO had voluntarily agreed to allow other companies to set up operations in the region without going through a formal licensing process. "For villages and hamlets cut off by landslides, ordinary phone lines are obviously not an option, hence the heavy dependence on wirelesstelephony," he said, adding the Pakistani satellite, PAKSAT, could also be used for this purpose to keep the operational costs to a minimum.