NTT and NTT Communications installed the Movable and Deployable ICT Resource Unit (MDRU), an R&D outcome of them, to a typhoon Haiyan affected area in northern Cebu in Philippines as a United Nation's disaster countermeasu

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation and NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) started the feasibility study on restoring telecommunication and ICT infrastructure damaged by typhoon Haiyan through the use of the Movable and Deployable ICT Resource Unit (MDRU) under the cooperation between the Ministry of Internal affairs and Communications (MIC) Japan, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippines and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)^*1. This feasibility study was launched in December 2014 at the disaster affected area in the island of Cebu in the Philippines and will continue until September 2015. This national project is led by the ITU^*2.
The effectiveness and key performance indicators of the MDRU will be monitored and evaluated by ITU through the use of the applications deployed on the MDRU. This project is with the cooperation of the municipal employees and residents in the Municipality of San Remigio a disaster affected area in Northern Cebu Island. The MDRU equipment has been provided by NTT Com to ITU for the project implementation. NTT and NTT com will operate and provide support to this project together with CVISNET foundation, Inc.^*3 as the local partner in the Philippines. Fujitsu limited are one of the project partners.

＜Reference＞ Movable and Deployable ICT resource Unit
Based on lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake, NTT and NTT Com have developed the MDRU that establish a Wi-Fi available area and enable communication to promptly recover after a large-scale disaster as a product of the R&D project in which NTT, Tohoku University, Fujitsu Limited and NTT Communications are engaged. This R&D project is partially supported by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Future Plan

(1) Promotion campaign to both the domestic and foreign sides

NTT and NTT Com encourage and promote broad use of the MDRU to entire world for disaster relief after a large-scale disaster, and expand in application like prompt provision of ICT services in developing countries where ICT infrastructure is not accommodated.

(2) Promotion of R&D

NTT and NTT Com are going to brush up the functional capability and the usability of MDRU based on the result of this feasibility study.

Reference: Feasibility study in Philippine

Training session for the residents of San Remigio municipality: Installing and running the MDRU applications in the smart phone.

Briefing session for the engineers in San Remigion Municipality : The essential point and the importance of MDRU feasibility study and the technologies used for MDRU prject.

Background of ITU project launching

NTT and NTT Com have developed the MDRU together with Tohoku University and Fujitsu Limited for disaster relief after a large-scale disaster. This project was realized under the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
After placing the MDRU on exhibition during the ITU telecom world in November 2013 in Thailand, NTT and NTT Com received the requirement request for utilization and technical support of MDRU from CVISNET Foundation in the Philippines. The United Nations and international community continue to find ways to reduce the risk of natural disasters and minimize the lost of lives and lessen the economic loss. In the process, the Government of Japan and the ITU are working in collaboration to provide assistance to restore connectivity in one of the worst affected islands by typhoon Haiyan. On May 13th 2014, MIC, DOST and ITU have closed a cooperation agreement for feasibility study on restoring connectivity through the use of the MDRU and launched the new project.

Reference: Press release from the DOST
http://www.gov.ph/2014/05/19/philippines-japan-sign-agreement-on-disaster-communications/

Reference: Situation of the disaster-affected area
San Remigio municipality, is the location of the MDRU feasibility study. The municipality consists of 27 Barangay and with a population of about 64,000. The municipality sustained enormous damage by the super typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. On-the-spot report from the scene of the disaster was manually gathered, this is because all communication networks was destroyed. The only source of communications to the government was through a satellite phone under the office of the Mayor.

[Reference] Movable and Deployable ICT resource Unit
http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2014/1401e/140128a.html

[Press release in Japanese]
The release in Japanese was issued on December 25, 2014.
http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2014/1412/141225a.html