Return to HumaniNet home page

Chile earthquake disaster response - special bulletin to relief and recovery teams:

We have several Sabre BGAN terminals available as loaners to NGO teams, thanks to a very generous donation of equipment by Vizada.   NGOs and relief teams may apply for a BGAN on a loan basis if they agree to:
(1) purchase prepaid service and cover shipping costs,
(2) when possible, provide photographs and brief reports of the BGAN in use in the field; and
(3) agree to our standard agreement for liability, i.e. replacement cost of $1200 plus shipping if lost or damaged.  Vizada and HumaniNet will appreciate brief reports on how you use the Sabre in Haiti relief and any feedback on the Sabre's performance and usefulness.

Those engaged in development projects, mission work, and disaster relief and recovery are all eligible for the loaner program, based on their need and availability of BGANs. 

From Stefanie Chang, an NGO relief manager in Haiti, on February 6: There have been periods of no cell coverage, and should there be an emergency or security incident, it's good to know we have some way of contacting the outside world.

From another user in Haiti, in January: Access to cell towers were few and far between. I was able to hit a tower at the hospital compound and transmit emails but not voice communications. US Marshall's assisting my at the American Embassy could not hit towers either (thousands of people are gathered in front of the Embassy.

Special note to all BGAN users:

Inmarsat has a new 4.0.0 version of Launchpad for Windows XP and Vista.  We recommend downloading and installing the new version at the earliest convenient opportunity.  Click here for the download.Solar power for the Sabre: it will work but not very well.  A 25W solar blanket will charge it in full sunlight in about two hours with the unit OFF but the unit can run its battery down in an hour of full time use.  You should have access to utility power or else a vehicle battery to support this unit for continuous duty.

HumaniNet currently has one or two Iridium phones for loan.  We can also recommend affordable and reliable providers who have satphones and BGANs for lease.   Also accessories such as solar chargers and spare batteries.

Contact us at info (at) humaninet.org.

Gregg Swanson
__________________________________________________________________________________
Video: Inmarsat's chief executive Andrew Sukawaty explains to the BBC's Daniel Emery how his firm's satellite network is assisting in Haiti's rescue efforts (play the video at the top of the page)
__________________________________________________________________________________

Satphone and BGAN users: some things to note for relief planning!

These are easy to overlook when you are in a hurry - be sure your deploying teams have this information.

• Inventory the entire kit.  Be sure you have AC and DC chargers, spare batteries, and the sim card!
• Buy a backpack or bag for your gear.  Mark all your gear with permanent pen.
  
• Print all the contact information for the service provider (phone, email address, hours) and be sure your team has it.
  
• For BGAN users - a must do! - check that your Launchpad and firmware versions are current!  This is the primary cause of no-connects.  Put a label on the BGAN with the firmware version installed.
  
• Save the Launchpad software and user guides to a CD or USB drive.  You will need it if the primary laptop malfunctions.  Then you install Launchpad on another laptop.  Know how to download Launchpad and firmware from the Inmarsat website.
  
• Prepaid sims: they can get consumed in a hurry!  500 minutes might seem like a lot, but if no one is paying attention, with heavy voice or data use, it will zero out when you least expect it.  You can reload new airtime, but you have to use some other phone to make the request of your service provider.
• The HumaniNet Satcom Center has many proven tips and techniques for BGAN use.  Contact us at info (at) humaninet.org.
  
• Iridium users: print and read our "Iridium Tips" article! 
  

Sabre BGAN performing well worldwide - special package now available

Throughout 2009, the Addvalue Sabre I BGAN has been doing extremely well in all geographies.   The latest firmware seems to have solved the minor problems that some users encountered in 2008.

Throughout January, the Sabre is available combined with 120 megabytes (Mb) of usage for only US$1499, a value of well over $2000.  Please contact us at info (at) humaninet.org for details.

Now that the Inmarsat I-4 Asia-Pacific satellite is in position, coverage across that region is complete.

Please see the Inmarsat coverage page for maps and information.

Also, please see the recent report from one user in Papua New Guinea, below.

Contact us at info (at) humaninet.org for more information.  Please use "BGAN" in the subject line of your email, and include the name of your organization and whether you are using BGAN service or a satphone.  We will reply within three business days.

There are six models of BGAN terminals, with equipment prices beginning at $1200 and service at under $7 per megabyte.  Most of these models enable both voice and data communications.  The voice calls have demonstrated extremely good quality in our tests, with international calls at just over one US$ per minute.

Please see our home page and ICT Features section for more on the BGAN terminals.   Our article on Using the Web affordably over BGAN offers some tips on managing costs, as does an earlier article on Holding Down Usage over BGAN.

The Addvalue Sabre BGAN is the most affordable terminal, with both voice and data, and has been performing well for current users.  Bob Rivers, of radio station KZOK Seattle, used a Sabre for a week of live radio broadcasts with a World Vision team in Senegal - you can hear the broadcasts on the KZOK Web site.  Also, please see our article on the Sabre 1.

Please contact info (at) humaninet.org for more information.  

Reports from two new users in November 2009:

"I tried out the voice function of the Sabre this morning - worked great!  CLEAR AS A BELL!"

"I am sending and receiving email with the BGAN right now, over my Mac, for the first time. The wireless service is down...for the third day in a row...so, I got tired of waiting for it to come back up, and with less than 60 kb usage, and in about two minutes I had a stack of emails in and am now replying."

Compressing your email, Saving $.  If you depend upon remote satellite or HF radio services for your email, you may have heard of "compression" and asked: how does it work, and how does it help? Read more and learn about the popular UUPlus solution.
For more information and pricing of mobile satellite services, contact us at info (at) humaninet.org and include your organization, region of interest, and general requirement for field communications.  Thank you.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Other reports and resources

Wireless Networking in the Developing World

Imagine trying to piece together a wireless network with no manuals, sporadic and slow access to the Internet, inadequate tools, a shortage of supplies, and in the most inclement weather. A recently published book, "Wireless Networking in the Developing World," is a highly regarded resource for solving these problems.  You can access this book in PDF form, at no cost, at http://wndw.net/news.html.

                                 Return to HumaniNet home page