In the midst of a global pandemic and a number of recent natural disasters affecting the region, an interesting conversation point has arisen in ICT and telecommunications spaces: how to best utilise telecoms infrastructure to assist in managing inevitable national disasters.

The International Telecommunications Union has recently published guidelines for national emergency telecommunications plans (NETPS).

Per the ITU:
“These guidelines​ assists national authorities and policymakers to develop a clear, flexible and user-friendly framework that guide countries on how to develop a strategic plan to support and enable the continued use of telecommunication and information and communication technology (ICT) networks and services in all four disaster management phases. It not only describes the main elements that an NETP should consider, but also highlights its potential benefits. It includes a step-by-step guide to the development of an NETP, it serves as a useful resource based on ITU recommendations and concepts, as well as expertise from other global bodies and organizations.”

Quote from the ITU website.

The NETPS Guidelines are fairly in-depth and covers all four phases of disaster management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The ITU has been instrumental in aiding several countries who have put national emergency telecommunication plans in place. This has included early warning systems, monitoring systems and emergency telecommunications equipment.

Link: ITU Guidelines on NETPS (pdf)