Editor’s note: Today we are featuring an interview with Mark Armstrong, who leads the Ericsson WIDER support team, about his work with Ericsson Response.
When disaster strikes, people from around the world come together to help those in need. Ericsson Response is a way for Ericsson employees to answer the call, and bring their unique communications know-how to the places in the world that need it most.
I started volunteering with Ericsson Response in 2007, and now lead the Ericsson WIDER (Wireless Local Area Network in Disaster Emergency Response) support team.
WIDER makes it possible for relief agencies to communicate, do their work and ultimately save lives. Since I began volunteering with Ericsson Response, I’ve spent three years teaching emergency datacomms with the UN and deployed WIDER in several disaster situations, such as the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone as well the Typhoon Yolanda that struck the Philippines in 2014.
Our job is to provide internet connectivity to the humanitarian community as quickly and reliably as possible. Usually, this involves installing and configuring a WIDER Access Controller (WAC) in a central location, deploying microwave links to connect remote locations, and installing access points (APs) in the consumer areas.
In situations where local networks are either wiped out or overburdened by the local population, WIDER provides aid workers with a fast and reliable connection, which is vital for sending reports and assessments, and for coordinating support. The faster information can be sent, the better their chances to save lives. But setting it up isn’t always easy.
We’re always looking around and asking: Where do users need service? Where can we mount antennas? How do we get up there? Are there trees or buildings that could block the signals? Where can we get power? How can we install the equipment and cables?
Sometimes, answering these questions means getting creative. In Sierra Leone, for example, we drilled holes through a brick wall in order to tie an antenna mast to it with rope, and on one occasion, a local coconut picker climbed a 12-meter tree to install an AP for us. In the Philippines, we had to scale a mountain to install solar panels for the VHF repeater network.
I’ve learned a lot volunteering with Ericsson Response, like focusing on the consumer’s needs, keeping things simple, and improvising to get things done. The technical work I’ve done on deployment also got me interested in virtualization and platform technologies, and I’ve since made the switch from program management to platform integration.
But the biggest reward from working with Ericsson Response is the opportunity to help so many people. I remember a time in the Philippines when we went to a town that had been cut off for almost two months in order to install internet for the Red Cross field hospital and town hall. We were practically mobbed by people wanting to get online!
People were so thankful to be able to reconnect – even the mayor came out to thank us in person!
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