9 July 2009: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has reached an agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated to help improve emergency communications for disaster preparedness and response.

Under the agreement, Qualcomm, a US-based wireless services provider, will donate to the ITU a Qualcomm Deployable Base Station (QDBS) valued at nearly US$500,000. The QDBS is described as a compact, quickly deployable and easy to operate mobile solution for providing first-responder communications, and is expected to enhance the ITU’s capacity to deploy mobile telecommunications to assist countries in preparing for disasters and in strengthening their response and recovery mechanisms. [ITU press release] [UN press release]