Ericsson's corporate citizenship program, Ericsson Response, was last night honored by the GSM Association for "Best Use of Mobile in Emergency Situations" for its disaster relief operation following the major earthquake in Bam, Iran, in December 2003.
The fast deployment of the emergency network - within 24 hours after its arrival - and communications support for up to 5,000 users was an achievement benefiting the relief operations of the humanitarian aid agencies.
"In the opinion of our independent judging panel, the Ericsson Response initiative is highly proactive, and motivated by a genuine socially responsible attitude to provide the lifeblood of successful relief efforts - mobile communications," said Mark Smith, Director of communications at the GSM Association.
The earthquake caused tens of thousands of victims and destroyed almost all telecom infrastructures in the area. To meet the emergency communication need, Ericsson Response sent a complete GSM mobile communications system and volunteers from Ericsson Turkey and Ericsson Iran to operate it. The system was connected via satellite to the Turkish operator Turkcell's network.
"We are pleased that Ericsson Response has received this award. Ericsson Response embodies our corporate values," said Karl-Henrik Sundström, Executive Vice President and CFO of Ericsson. "Whenever possible we will use our technology, resources and solutions to support those in need."
The Ericsson Response program won an award in the same category in 2002.
Ericsson Response is currently active in the area devastated by the tsunami in South-East Asia. Immediate support, including volunteers and GSM equipment to enable communication for the relief workers, was sent to Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
Read more at www.ericsson.com/press
For further information, please contact:
Pia Gideon, Vice President, Market and External Relations, Ericsson
Phone: + 46 70 519 8903, +46 8 719 69 92
E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com
About Ericsson Response
Ericsson Response(TM) is a global initiative that harnesses and directs Ericsson's communications technology expertise and resources to respond to and alleviate human suffering due to disasters. The goal of the program is to help improve the quality, speed and effectiveness of disaster response worldwide.
Read more at: www.ericsson.com/ericssonresponse
About the GSM Association
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the operator-led trade association representing the global mobile industry. Encompassing technical, commercial and public policy initiatives, the GSMA focuses on ensuring wireless services work globally, thereby enhancing the value of mobile services to individual customers and national economies while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. At the end of 2004, the Association embraced more than 650 operator members serving more than 1.25 billion customers across 210 countries and territories. More than 150 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners. The GSM community accounts for 75% of the digital mobile phone market worldwide.
Read more at: www.gsmworld.com/index.shtml
