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In recent years, we've seen an increasingly volatile planet. Incredibly powerful tsunamis race across our oceans bringing high death-tolls and economic losses to the trillions in affected regions. Natural disasters continue to plague even nations we thought were never susceptible to calamities. In Japan, we saw the effects of the undersea earthquake and tsunami, causing catastrophe in the Eastern coast of the country. Not only were entire villages wiped off, but an imminent nuclear meltdown posed threats to the health and safety of millions of citizens, adding to the economic instability of the region. In New Zealand, earthquakes in Christchurch leveled the city and caused widespread damages in urban infrastructure, along with human losses. Even Australia, a country seemingly free from volcanic threats and earthquakes, have faced a different kind of disaster with the Queensland floods and bush fires in the state of Victoria. The US has also seen its own human and economic disaster in Hurricane Katrina which badly hit the city of New Orleans. During such moments, how does the government and emergency services respond when various modes of communication are destroyed. Many fibre networks suffer from floods, and cables are easily destroyed in such disasters. During such crises, reliable communications is crucial in saving lives, and finding survivors. Often, communications systems are in demand with little to no warning. Earthquakes are unpredictable events and soon as traditional communications infrastructure are destroyed, it's harder for emergency services to respond. These days, satellite communications is becoming an increasingly essential part of any emergency service. Vehicle mounted antenna can be used by trucks and other all-terrain vehicles to provide its own “independent” communications systems which can be brought in hard-hit locales in a natural calamity. Another technology which can be used is VSAT. VSAT or very-small aperture terminals can be deployed anywhere and anytime, providing crucial communication links between disaster recovery teams and victims of a natural disaster. Recovery efforts benefit from the mobility of satellite communications, and emergency response teams are ensured that even in ground-zero they can connect with the rest of the world. With the increasing frequency of natural calamities, mostly as a result of climate change, many concerned organizations are focusing their efforts in preparing for the worst. Equipping disaster response teams is included in these efforts because at any rate, they can spell the difference between life and death.
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satellite communications, emergency services, satellite technology,
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