Connectivity is key in a crisis — if it gets there fast enough

Davos, Switzerland — It’s easy to convince attendees at the World Economic Forum that internet connectivity is a necessity. There seems to be a wi-fi connection for every person, not to mention an array of pop-up TV studios — one of which has even taken over a church — that are wired and ready to transmit the thoughts of the gathered global elite to the far corners of the world (or just the building next door).

In humanitarian crises, the situation is different — though the stakes are far higher. Families forced from homes or threatened by disaster depend on digital access to information as a lifeline connecting them to critical health services, job opportunities and relief supplies. But internet connectivity, despite being so vital, is not so easy to come by.

Part of the problem is that telecommunications providers and humanitarian agencies suffer a disconnect of their own. The current humanitarian system moves too slowly and too late for businesses to deploy connectivity in communities at risk of experiencing a disaster, according to telecommunications leaders.