The Astrium-supplied satellite equipment and airtime is helping humanitarian workers in the tumultuous Sahel region to share vital information as they manage the very critical humanitarian situation in this area. Communications links are severely disrupted in northern Mali, where land lines and mobile networks have been cut off in several towns.
The satellite communication has helped more than 4,200 refugees contact their families, and has provided reliable Internet and voice capabilities for the NGO Télécoms Sans Frontières to stay in contact with local authorities and their headquarters.
The Mayor of Timbuktu testified: “The army delivered us, Télécoms Sans Frontières reconnected us! I was able to call Bamako and directly inform the authorities about the situation here in Timbuktu.”
