Disasters can wreak havoc on your business communications and enterprise networks. Although commercial communications networks are built to be highly resilient, if a disaster is severe enough or lasts long enough, your landline network and even your Wi-Fi could be knocked out. Outages due to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, severe weather, wildfires and other hazards can be lengthy if crews cannot get dispatched promptly to begin repairs.
Governments rely on satellites for disaster management
For many years, satellite services have been governments’ “go-to” option to establish emergency communications.
- One of the first large federal agencies on site during emergencies, FEMA, regularly deploys satellite-equipped multipurpose communications centers to coordinate emergency responses.
- Other agencies, from the U.S. Justice Department to firefighters in California, have turned to satellites to provide emergency communications during hurricanes and wildfires.
- The entire island of Puerto Rico relied almost exclusively on satellites for telephone service in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and major earthquakes in 2019 and 2020.
Additionally, the availability of accurate and detailed satellite imagery permits damage assessment and recovery planning prior to dispatching personnel to hazardous areas.
Businesses also rely on satellites for disaster recovery
Satellites help businesses during disasters and daily operations. Businesses have long used satellites for daily connectivity with remote facilities and critical infrastructure. Utilities, energy, natural resources, transportation, distribution, healthcare, retail, finance and other companies use satellite links for applications such as remote monitoring and control, managing production and supply chains, security, and business continuity. Now with the massive increase in cybercrime, satellites are even more important to expedite restoration of key data centers, production and warehouse hubs, and critical field operations.
A long way from the clunky satellite phones you saw in James Bond movies
Today’s satellite ground stations and devices are compact systems that use digital and GPS technology to find and connect to the best available satellite automatically. They offer broadband and voice connectivity protected by advanced security controls. Solutions include fixed stations, transportable stations, nomad and fully mobile systems.
You can find many other examples of how satellites can be used for daily operations and emergencies on x2nSAT’s blog. For more information on the broad range of cutting-edge satellite products and services they offer, visit their website or contact their communications experts.
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About the Author
Cara is the marketing coordinator at X2nSat. She's a social media maverick, a content genius, and an author in her spare time. Writing and marketing are her true passions.