Thrane & Thrane Sponsors Critical Communcations to Télécoms Sans Frontières

A sponsorship agreement signed June 15 between the satellite communication terminal manufacturer Thrane & Thrane and Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) will assist the high profile humanitarian NGO in providing a year long telecommunications training program for emergency responders from 40 international NGOs. The sponsorship involves the donation of Thrane & Thrane EXPLORER BGAN terminals for training courses, which start at the end of July at the TSF bases in Bangkok and Managua.

"In any emergency response situation, quickly establishing reliable communication is a high priority, so the right training is essential," comments Jean-François Cazenave, President, TSF. "The EXPLORER terminals supplied by Thrane & Thrane will support our forthcoming courses for NGO emergency responders, allowing us to offer the most effective training possible."

Photo on right: EXPLORER 700

To ensure that TSF training program covers all aspects of emergency communication, the sponsorship scope of supply covers the core of the EXPLORER portfolio: EXPLORER 300, EXPLORER 500 and EXPLORER 700. All EXPLORER models are already vital for emergency responders and NGO personnel, and have been proven to offer effective communication for disaster and emergency management from anywhere on the planet.

"This partnership is a great opportunity for Thrane & Thrane," says newly appointed Market Development Manager for the Land Mobile Business Unit at Thrane & Thrane, Morten Rishøj. "BGAN and emergency communication are closely connected so it is important for TSF to have access to the latest and most up-to-date equipment available, especially as it is highly likely that they will be using EXPLORER terminals in the field."

The TSF emergency telecommunications training courses will be split between one session in Bangkok covering the South-East Asia region and one in Managua, Nicaragua, which covers Central America and the Caribbean. The training includes a five day initial course and a three day refresher in addition to ongoing support. The aim is to reinforce emergency responders' capacities in the area of satellite and IT technology in order to establish quick and reliable Internet connections, phone and fax lines. TSF technicians will train participants in how to use and trouble-shoot various equipment and help each organization find the most suitable and cost-effective solution to meet their needs.

"The TSF training program will create an in-depth knowledge that can secure communication and save lives, whilst at the same time, through this sponsorship we are able to ensure that first responders and the NGO community are well trained in the use of BGAN and EXPLORER terminals," adds Rishøj.