Satellites Can Do Even More

摘要

Satellite communications played a critical role in restoring telecom-munication services to the U.S. Gulf Coast Region. When the land-based telephone and broadcast networks went down — satellites remained on the job. Satellites provided redundancy, ubiquity and resiliency that were unavailable from land-based networks. Satellites first warned of the impending danger. Afterwards, satellites connected emergency personnel and other first responders. Satellites reunited families. Satellites reconnected communities. And satellites enabled the world to witness the devastation of these disasters — and also the many acts of heroism. Although the performance of satellite systems was impressive, their use was often limited by a lack of preparation. Many of the communications problems that occurred in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas recently — and New York City after 9/11 — would have been substantially mitigated had satellite systems been more effectively integrated into our emergency communications network.