In recent weeks, U.S. and European telecommunications companies have been pooling their resources to provide wireless phones, airtime and money to the refugees, relief workers and media involved in the ethnic crisis in Kosovo.
Several weeks ago, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata appealed to telecommunications companies to donate phone service for the refugees. France Telecom was one of the first to heed the call, and in the Stankovic Transit Center, company volunteers gave each refugee one minute of phone time.
According to a report in Newsweek, when the initial wave of refugees arrived at the Brajde transit center in Macedonia, their first priority was to charge their mobile phones. Others begged journalists for a few minutes of talk time. In the fear and confusion, the familiar voice of a friend or family member for many was overwhelming.
“When the refugees hear their [loved ones] phone, they’re so moved they can’t speak,” said volunteer Christine Pouquet.
In the United States, Iridium L.L.C. and Motorola Inc. partnered to provide Iridium satellite phones to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Motorola has provided more than 60 phones, the first shipment of which is being used by relief workers and refugees in camps in Macedonia, including the camp at Neprosteno. The remaining phones are en route to the Balkan region and are expected to be used at other refugee sites.
Iridium and two of its European partners, Iridium Italia SpA and Iridium Communications Germany GmbH, are providing the necessary satellite airtime on the Iridium system. Iridium Italia also is assuming the landline connection charges for calls made on the system, and Iridium Communication Germany has sent a team of employees to the region to handle distribution of the phones.
Robert J. Wussler, chief executive officer of US Digital Communications Inc., which also donated Iridium phones to the relief organizations and media in the area, noted that during times of crisis, “terrestrial communications networks often can be rendered useless.”
US Digital and its subsidiary, International Satellite Group Inc., arranged for Iridium phones to be sent to Kosovo almost immediately after the fighting began. The number of phones shipped is well into the hundreds, said Charlie Maynard, CEO of Insat, and the company is still heavily involved in establishing better communication for refugees and workers throughout the region.
“The phones are all the way to Italy and other bordering countries and some are even in London,” said Maynard. An Insat spokesperson is joining several relief organization representatives on a short trip to the area April 28th. He plans to bring six phones to be used by the representatives and relief workers.
Instead of donating equipment, other U.S. companies are choosing to donate money to the various humanitarian organizations helping in the area.
Michael Kornfeld, spokesman for the Bell Atlantic Foundation, said Bell Atlantic Corp. has set up a matching gift program for employees who wish to donate funds to the effort.
“We chose three organizations that have good reputations and do a diverse number of things,” said Kornfeld. Dollar-for-dollar matches of up to $2,500 per person will be made through the end of May for every employee check made out to either AmeriCares, Doctors Without Borders or the International Rescue Committee. The foundation also is making a $50,000 grant.
The traditionally poor, rural regions of the Balkans only recently have begun to build out wireless telecommunications networks. In February, New World Telecom of Oak Brook, Ill., signed an agreement with Albanian Telecom to provide wireless telecom services there.
