Tanzania

Tanzania in East Africa is the country that supports hundreds of thousands of refugee's every year from the three bordering countries, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. The nearest major city is Kigoma, which has a very poor infrastructure, use to support all the major aid organizations such as International Red Cross, UNHCR, UNICEF, CARE and Tanzania Red Cross and many others. The total support system for the administration, health, transportation and food is coordinated by radio and is very time consuming.

To assist the Humanitarian Relief Organizations Ericsson provided GSM 900 Radio Base Stations, allowing the smooth integration to the existing network already in commercial operations in Tanzania and keeping the cost to a minimum.

The system gives relief organizations international and local access not only limited to voice communication but also data communication i.e. Internet connection, which is provided through wireless broad band technology.

With greater improved communication, planning, administration and response to the needs of the refugees will be more cost effective, efficient and substantially lowers the communication cost. The over all beneficiaries are the refugees, which receive quicker response in the areas.

With Internet connection provided through the satellite link, refugee children for the first time got access to the global world of information networks in their school.

Introducing GSM communication in these areas also gave the local community a telecommunication infrastructure, which provides a base for economic growth in the region.

• The operatpr Mobitel Tanzania
• The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)