The motive is to become the means by which people rely more disaster. A recent study of the Enlightenment Economics, published by the GSMA (GSM Association) rebels that the volume of traffic in mobile networks increases exponentially after a major catastrophe and that the search remains high for several days after the cataclysm .
According to research, the volume of calls on mobile network in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, rose 30% during the weeks following the Tsunami that devastated the region in December 2004. The study also shows that the use of voice grew 275 percent and 350 percent the text in the areas most affected by floods in southern Germany last August. The call volume has also increased dramatically after the explosions in Istanbul (Turkey) and November 2003.
Problematic situations for mobile operators, contrary to what happens at predictable times of high traffic growth, as New Year or the conduct of major sporting events, do not have time to prepare. A problem that could be mitigated if users opt for text messaging instead of voice calls efctuar in the period just after the disaster, using less network capacity, which facilitates the transmission of messages and free bandwidth that may be crucial for emergency services.
"Whoever is caught in the middle of a natural disaster or other similar emergency is understandably desperate to connect to its local ones, ask for help or transmit sensitive information," says Tom Phillips, GSMA responsible. "The mobile is the best way to do it, but people in these situations should try to send SMS and not talk," he added.
Traffic data after disaster situations suggests that humanitarian aid organizations and individuals rely quite envolved in mobile networks to find information tailored to their needs. The study, which examines communication patterns after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Bam earthquake and other disasters, revolts that mobile phones play a vital role in linking dispersed populations and coverage of special needs affected communities.
