Ericsson Response

Since 2000, Ericsson Response has played a leading role in the UN Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), a global network of organizations that work together to provide shared communications services in humanitarian emergencies. In 2021, Ericsson Response signed a standby partnership agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and officially supports the Refugee Emergency Telecommunications Sector (RETS), the global lead for coordinating the delivery of connectivity services in refugee emergencies. Our partners include the World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB).

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Ericsson's role

When Ericsson Response volunteers arrive in a disaster zone, their role is to enable temporary voice and data connectivity so that humanitarian relief agencies can quickly coordinate their relief efforts. Ericsson Response works together with relief agencies, governments and local authorities to prioritise deployments in affected areas, using its telecoms skills and technology to bring together the aid organizations that help alleviate the affected populations. Volunteers remain in the affected areas enhancing and maintaining networks and equipment until local services have sufficiently recovered or until the temporary network capacity is no longer needed.

Based entirely on staff volunteers, Ericsson Response has helped out in humanitarian disasters for 20 years, in a wide variety of situations around the world.

The key role of Ericsson Response is to install and maintain temporary internet connectivity until local services have sufficiently recovered or until increased capacity is no longer needed.

More key facts

Hear more about Ericsson Response

Ericsson Response is a volunteer initiative that provides communications expertise, equipment and resources in times of a disaster. In this podcast, one volunteer chats with the program director about the origins and purpose of Ericsson Response.

Hear from Lars Ruediger, Program Director, Ericsson Response

Since its establishment in 2000, Ericsson Response has consistently demonstrated the powerful role information and communication technology (ICT) can play in relief efforts by providing internet access to humanitarian workers in disaster areas. I myself became an Ericsson Response volunteer in 2006 and the program has been an important part of my life ever since. Over the course of the past 10+ years, I have participated in several field missions as well as doing back-office support and development work, and preparing systems for deployment.

Dwight Witherspoon with Ericsson Response volunteers

Read about volunteering for Ericsson Response

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of travelling to Linköping (Sweden) to take part in the weeklong training program to become an Ericsson Response volunteer. Ericsson Response is a global initiative in which Ericsson works in partnership with UN agencies such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF, and NGOs such as the Red Cross and Save the Children, to provide telecommunications and internet support in disaster situations.

2000

Ericsson Response is established 2000
Tajikistan: Extreme drought - IFRC assessment support with volunteer team for 14 days - IFRC
Algeria: Extreme floods - Donation of phones and a base station. Read more ›

2001

Afghanistan: First Ericsson Response mission in Kabul. Provide voice calls through GSM container solution (2G) to humanitarian communiy.

Hungary: Flooding - Donation of phones. Read more ›

Peru: Earthquake – Technical support for connectivity and donation of phones - IFRC
El Salvador: Earthquake - Team of volunteers deployed to bring in cellphones to humanitarians - IFRC

2002

Tanzania: Refugee crisis - Deployment of GSM containers for voice connectivity – IFRC
Lesotho: Support in IFRC assessment and donation of phones

2003

Algeria: Earthquake – Deployment if GSM container - MSB(SRSA) and IFRC
Iran: Earthquake – GSM (2G) container for voice connectivity – OCHA UNDAC
Liberia: Civil unrest – Volunteer deployed to provide technical support to IFRC

2004

Indonesia: Tsunami - WiFi connectivity through WIDER – OCHA
Sri Lanka: Tsunami – GSM (2G) container for voice services – IFRC

2005

Pakistan: Earthquake – WIDER for WiFi connectivity for humanitarian workers – OCHA

2006

South Sudan: Civil unrest – ICT support to aid workers – Save the Children

2007

Central African Republic: Civil unrest - Connectivity and technical support for aid workers – MSB(SRSA) / OCHA
Peru: Earthquake – Technical support for IFRC operations

2008

South Sudan: Civil unrest – Connectivity and technical support for Save the Children

2009

Philippines: Flood – Technical support for international partners in effected areas
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Remains of conflict – ICT support for de-mining mission in DRC MSB(SRSA)

2010

Haiti: Earthquake - GSM container deployed to provide voice services to humanitarian workers (OCHA), WiFi support and general ICT support for WFP and UNICEF

2011

Tanzania: Project management support for "One UN” initiative

2012

South Sudan: Civil unrest – WiFi connectivity in various places through WIDER solution and ICT support – WFP/ETC

2013

Philippines: Super typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) – WiFi connectivity in various places through WIDER solution and ICT support – WFP/ETC. Read more ›

2014

Ebola Response mission in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal) - WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution and ICT support – WFP/ETC. Read more ›

Iraq: IDP camps in Iraq - WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP
South Sudan: Civil unrest - Continuation of efforts – WFP/ETC
Philippines:Typhoon -Continuation of efforts – WFP/ETC

2015

Nepal: Earthquake – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC.
Read more ›

Vanuatu: Cyclone Pam – WiFi connectivity in various location through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC

2016

Haiti: Hurricane Matthew – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC

2017

Haiti: Hurricane – Continuation of efforts. Read more ›

Dominica, Antigua, St. Martin and Barbuda: Hurricanes Irma and Maria – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC
Puerto Rico: Hurricanes Irma and Maria – WiFi connectivity in various locations – NetHope
Madagascar: Cyclone – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC

2018

Dominica: Continuation of efforts in Dominica and Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma and Maria. Read more ›

Libya: Civil unrest – ICT support for WFP country office – WFP

2019

Colombia: Refugee crisis – WiFi connectivity in various locations – NetHope Read more ›

Bangladesh: Refugee crisis – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC

Mozambique: Cyclone Idai and Kenneth – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC. Read more ›

Bahamas: Hurricane Dorian – WiFi connectivity in various locations through WIDER solution – WFP/ETC

2020

Bangladesh: Refugee crisis – Assessment of further connectivity improvements in Rohingya refugee camps Cox’s Bazar
COVID-19: Pandemic response – Remote ETC/WFP HQ support in technical project management for pilot projects in Iraq, Libya and Central African Republic

Mission in Dominica

Ericsson Response working in disaster afflicted areas. Hurricane Maria (Category 5) struck the Caribbean in September 2017 and first made landfall on Dominica.

Mission in Nepal

On April 25, 2015 a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. Ericsson Response as part of the UN Emergency Telecom Cluster was immediately deployed to assist in the relief efforts.

Mission in South Sudan

In 2012, Ericsson Response worked with Emergency Telecommunications Cluster partners, emergency.lu and the World Food Programme, to provide vital communications services to relief workers in South Sudan.

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