ARLA/CLUSTER: Devido a recentes desastres a UIT está fortalecendo as comunicações de emergência nas Américas com o apoio dos radiamadores

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

How ITU is strengthening emergency communications in the Americas

In recent years, the increasing number of disasters like hurricanes,
earthquakes, tsunamis and floods has highlighted the urgency of
establishing strong telecommunication systems, which are essential if
medics, firefighters, police and others are to provide effective relief
during emergencies

In the aftermath of disasters, alternative telecommunication systems are
often needed to replace normal systems that have been damaged or destroyed.
ITU membership has recognized this need: For many years, emergency
telecommunications has been a priority in the Americas Region.

In 2018, ITU teamed up with regional telecommunications bodies in the
Americas such as la Comision Regional Tecnica de Telecomunicaciones
(COMTELCA), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)
and the *International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU)* to set up an alternative telecommunication
system for use in times of emergencies. The system does not rely on
conventional means of communication such as the Internet, but rather on
amateur radio systems.

*The benefits of Winlink*

The alternative telecommunications system used is known as *Winlink*, a
worldwide email service that uses radio pathways and is capable of
operating completely without the Internet.

Winlink is well-known for its role in emergency and disaster relief
communications, providing its users email with attachments, position
reporting, weather and information bulletins. The system is built, operated
and administered entirely by licensed volunteers.

It has a proven track record for emergencies. As recently as 2017, Winlink
was extensively used in the aftermath of the high-impact hurricane season
in the Caribbean and also after the earthquake in Mexico.

Nodes are an important part of the Winlink system. A node is a point of
connection within a network. They are the major centers through which
Internet traffic is typically routed.

*ITU and partners: from ideas to action*

The commitment to develop a cooperation mechanism for the implementation of
projects on the use of ICTs for emergency and disaster situations in the
region was officially formalized in 2017 in Argentina with a letter of
intent signed by ITU, CITEL, COMTELCA and CTU.

At the beginning of 2018, ITU started to implement the project using
Winlink in cooperation of IARU and the ‘Federación Mexicana de Radio
Experimentadores (FMRE). ITU and FMRE worked in collaboration with COMTELCA
to define the specifications of the equipment.

COMTELCA brought the Central American Integration System for natural
disaster prevention, mitigation and response (CEPREDENAC) to the table.

*The role of governments*

Governments have played an important role in project implementation. This
was necessary for effective coordination among telecommunications
authorities, organizations responsible to respond to emergencies and
radio-amateur associations.

Governments have also provided some equipment and carried out preliminary
work to start operations. National partnerships were built among relevant
entities, to procure the needed equipment, deliver trainings, and increase
awareness of Winlink.

The project has built and strengthened synergies among different entities
at the national, regional and international level and helped highlight the
role of amateur radio systems in disaster management.

ITU stands ready to expand this project in all beneficiary countries, and
counts on the cooperation of IARU and FMRE to bring this solution to the
whole Americas region.

By Miguel Alcaine, Representative of the ITU Area Office in Tegucigalpa,
Honduras.

Fonte:  IARU Region 2 http://iaru-r2.org/
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