• Natural disasters in APAC have become more frequent and damaging over the past decade, disrupting and damaging fibre and other terrestrial communications networks
• Connectivity is vital for relief efforts to coordinate and manage critical operations during disaster recovery as well as for restoring lifeline connectivity

The Asia Pacific region  is experiencing an unprecedented surge in natural disasters, with more intense and frequent earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunamis, and wildfires than any other region in the world due to worsening climate change.

During natural disasters, traditional communications infrastructure, like cell towers and fibre optic cables, can be severely damaged or destroyed, leaving communities isolated without necessary communications and emergency responders struggling to coordinate relief efforts. Disruptions may sever essential communications, leaving the affected population without access to important information for advance preparation and response. people would be unable to contact families, friends and communities to provide updates, seek emergency support and address damage to their property and livelihood.

Recent examples of hard-hitting disasters in the APAC region reminds us that disrupted critical internet access and mobile services results in disrupted critical communication services needed for relief efforts and essential operations, operational downtime for businesses, and supply chain interruptions leading to economic losses.

Satellite Connectivity Enables Faster Disaster Recovery

Restoring communication after a disaster is crucial for coordinating rescue efforts, managing relief operations, and keeping communities informed. This means connectivity must not only withstand natural disasters but also handle high data volumes to ensure critical applications can quickly and smoothly resume once new connectivity is in place. In these critical moments, satellite technology has emerged as pivotal in restoring communications, ensuring that vital information reaches those in need and supporting effective disaster response.

For example, emergency.lu, an inflatable antenna operated by a public-private partnership by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg in collaboration with a consortium of Luxembourg companies and organisations including SES, was deployed in central Philippines and assisted relief efforts after the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Typoon Yolanda), primarily through the restoration of connectivity to humanitarian workers.

Not only does satellite connectivity support relief operations with real time updates and disaster monitoring and management, but the connectivity has to be activated at pace — with onsite coordination of engineering teams working around the clock to offer fibre-like connectivity on an urgent basis.

Case in point is the recent work accomplished in Tonga following the August 2024 earthquake.

When the island nation’s sole domestic subsea cable was damaged, SES’s satellite service enabled Digicel Pacific to restore critical inter-island voice, SMS, and data services within six hours—a stark contrast to the weeks it would typically take to repair such cables.

While APAC faces worsening climate-related disasters, its markets can greatly benefit from bolstering their disaster recovery plans with high-performance connectivity. Incorporating satellite technology into the connectivity mix ensures reliable and scalable solutions, helping telecommunications companies and governments to improve resilience and streamline disaster responses. As technology evolves, satellites will remain a cornerstone of disaster management strategies, offering hope and reliability in the most challenging times.