Research confirms mobile telecommunications pivotal in disaster zone   
 
MTC releases benchmark report on role of telephony during 2006 Lebanon War 

During July/August 2006 the Middle East witnessed a severe conflict between Hezbollah and the armed forces of Israel. Over 1,200 people were killed, 30,000 homes were destroyed, $2.5 billion in physical damages and unmeasured billions in losses were inflicted to the local economy. This conflict, which involved the use of a large variety of weapons, did not spare anyone in Lebanon, be it in the south, the north, the Bekaa or Beirut. Apart from the large scale bombings of the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Israeli army destroyed hundreds of bridges and roads and imposed a complete air and sea blockade thus literally cutting off Lebanon not only from the rest of the world, but from itself too.
Mobile telecommunications played a vital role during the conflict in Lebanon, especially since mobile networks have a higher penetration than fixed-line. It was the main communication channel for the hundreds of thousands that were stranded throughout the country; it helped transmit vital information via SMS for evacuation purposes; it was used to help doctors locate people who needed urgent medical care; it gave a new dimension to media coverage through the use of phone integrated cameras; and it was even one of the main tools used to disseminate propaganda messages across borders.
Throughout the conflict, the patterns of mobile use in Lebanon confirm the findings from other emergencies of the importance to individuals of access to communication provided by mobiles. The technology also clearly showcases the resilience of the network compared to other parts of the communications infrastructure since it not only was able to cope with massive movement of people in short periods of time, but it also recuperated very rapidly from direct hits by the Israeli air force.

Its impact on emergency response
Throughout the conflict mobile telecommunications proved once again that it is capable of withstanding the impact of a national calamity. Its role as the main communication channel for people throughout the conflict shows how the mobile phone has become an essential tool for unforeseeable events. The Lebanese used the mobile phone during the July/August conflict not only to get in touch with their loved ones, but also to find safe routes to travel on since roads and bridges were the main target of the Israeli air force. Some of the more resilient people, according to the report, even used it to get to work under the severe bombardments.
The Lebanese naturally used the mobile phone to call for emergency help throughout the conflict. However, statistics clearly show that there was a sharp rise in mobile calls to the emergency help number 112 – an increase of over 170% during certain days.
Mobile communications throughout the Israeli/Lebanese conflict also allowed medical practitioners get in touch with the thousands of civilians trapped by the bombardments. The practitioners had found a vital link between the TV and mobile phone. Some TV channels would broadcast the mobile phone numbers of people who needed urgent medical help, the medical practitioner would call the patient to find out their location and problems, would assess the possibility of reaching the patient and would then give free medical advice to those in need.

Managing the surge in call volumes and the displacement of a million people
In the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of hostilities, call volumes jumped by almost 40% on MTC Touch’s network, showcasing the vital role the technology plays during such horrid events. Mobiles also proved essential in keeping people in touch during the massive movement of people from the south of the country to other regions and overseas. Call volumes fell almost 60% in the south and increased elsewhere, namely in the Bekaa and northern regions. 
The increase in demand, coupled with damage to the network due to bombing, led to a sharp increase in call congestion, but this was relatively short lived. Re-routing of traffic and repairs and new investment took measures of congestion back towards their pre-war levels within a few weeks, again proving that the mobile technology is very resilient. However, the temporary increase in call congestion led people to increase their usage of SMS, representing over 35% of the usage of the mobile. 

The use of SMS to receive vital information during the conflict
Throughout the conflict, people from all nations needed vital information to live through the bombings. Foreigners who were vacationing in Lebanon were suddenly stranded in an undesired situation. Their respective governments’ from many dozens of different nations took the initiative to undergo what was dubbed as the largest evacuation since Dunkirk in World War II. To achieve such a massive operation, some embassies used the SMS technology to effectively advise their nationals of procedures and meeting points for evacuation. CNN reported on July 21 that “Denmark and Sweden were front-runners in the race to rescue foreigners fleeing the violence in Lebanon” – two countries who used the SMS most effectively.   
As for Lebanese citizens, the need for more information on the evolution of the crisis was showcased within the report. The number of users of SMS news service delivery dramatically increased by over 2,500% in July 2006 compared to the previous month.  

Citizen Journalists and Mobile Propaganda
One of the main aspects of the mobile phone throughout the Israeli/Lebanese conflict was the vast use of phone-integrated cameras by “citizen journalists” who would then post the pictures or videos on blogs or YouTube. “Experts predict that the edgy, personalized clips being passed around worldwide soon will influence traditional broadcast news by infusing it with the passion of citizen journalists, who are reporting as rockets crash onto their neighborhoods” – San Francisco Chronicle.
Some 19% of survey respondents for the report also stated that they have received calls or SMS from automatic messaging services (unknown numbers, propaganda). Throughout the conflict, Lebanese citizens were being attacked by psychological warfare through the dropping of leaflets, calls, SMS messages, jamming of radio and TV channels. One of the recorded message on mobile phones warned all those living south of the Litani river to leave immediately or risk being killed, while one of the text messages read that the Hezbollah leader had prepared a secure bunker for himself. 

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