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Intelsat donates capacity for hurricane relief

Hurricane Matthew passed over the southwestern peninsula of the Caribbean nation on October 4, killing hundreds, destroying thousands of homes, and leaving an estimated 1.4 million Haitians in urgent need of humanitarian aid

hurricane-matthewIntelsat is donating capacity to the American Red Cross to support relief operations in Haiti following the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew.

The hurricane passed over the southwestern peninsula of the Caribbean nation on October 4, killing hundreds, destroying thousands of homes, and leaving an estimated 1.4 million Haitians in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

The American Red Cross has established a field office in Les Cayes, a Haitian coastal city devastated by the hurricane force winds as well as high rainfall and storm surge. Intelsat will provide a VSAT connection for the American Red Cross facility in Les Cayes for 90 days using Ku-band capacity from Intelsat 29e, the first satellite in the Intelsat EpicNG platform. This high-performance, high-efficiency satellite, located at 310° East, uses the latest in HTS technology to enable the fast and efficient roll-out of broadband connectivity.

“Intelsat is a long-standing partner of the American Red Cross. We often provide their teams with vital connectivity during large disasters to enhance their field communications capacity in support of their urgent relief work,” said Kurt Riegelman, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Satellite solutions are uniquely able to provide near-instant infrastructure, with reach that allows ubiquitous coverage, regardless of the location. The link to our satellite will help Red Cross workers in Haiti providing relief where it is most needed.”