July 3, 2007
Mobile phones helped Lebanese cope with Israeli onslaught
Mobile Telecommunications Co., the parent company of one of Lebanon's two cellular operators released a study on Monday demonstrating what it said were the benefits of mobile telephony during last summer's war with Israel. The
Daily Star reports.
"According to the report - titled "Mobility: A Nation Under Siege" - call volumes jumped by some 40 percent in the first few days of the conflict.
"Mobiles proved essential in keeping people in touch during the massive movement of people from the South of the country to other regions and overseas," the study said, adding that the volume of "roaming" calls soared by 85 percent.
In a statement accompanying the study, MTC extolled the virtues of mobile phones, noting that during the war, users of the devices were able to obtain news (approximately 60 percent subscribed to some form of SMS alert service), share information about damage to roads and bridges, and contact emergency services.
The statement said that the research provided lessons in "crisis planning - most notably in less developed regions," adding that SMS technology had allowed several foreign embassies to coordinate the evacuation of their nationals during the conflict.
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