SES S.A., SpeedCast and AsiaSat have donated satellite and service capacity to enable NetHope, a consortium of 41 non-governmental organisations around the globe, to re-establish communication links to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.

By utilizing the 36 MHz capacity on SES' NSS-11 satellite donated by SES and the uplink services and ground infrastructure provided by SpeedCast and AsiaSat, NetHope will be able to provide Typhoon Haiyan survivors access to information directly. The services and infrastructure will also support a number of other relief agencies and NGO's working in-country.

"Damage to critical telecommunications infrastructure has made disaster relief and rapid assessment of the situation difficult. Given that it may be weeks or months before terrestrial infrastructure is up and running, satellite connectivity is vital in providing immediate communication needs. SES is pleased to donate satellite capacity to support the people of the Philippines during their recovery from this terrible disaster," said Elias Zaccack, Senior Vice President, Commercial Americas at SES.

"SpeedCast, SES and AsiaSat are providing vital aid directly to the areas that need it most with the help of NetHope. Since the Typhoon hit and we activated our response services, NetHope is now able to assist the relief efforts with communication services that can reach the most remote parts of the country," said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast.

"AsiaSat is pleased to take part in this initiative by offering uplink services from our Tai Po Earth Station. This effort in cooperation with our partners, will establish communication links needed to assist Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines," said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.

The GVF's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Programs helped to facilitate this combined industry response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.