The causes of humanitarian situations in Latin America and the Caribbean are multiple, intertwined, and sometimes mutually reinforcing. These include political and social situations, organized crime, and an increase in climate crises that contribute to isolating affected populations. The region is particularly affected by intense storms and hurricanes, which impact telecommunications.
Communities' need to access information and communicate with their loved ones is exacerbated during natural disasters and events such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, some of which are aggravated by climate change and weather events.
Context
Goals
The main objective of the mission is to strengthen community resilience by providing reliable Internet access to people affected by natural disasters and other humanitarian organizations in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica.
The project is supported by the Internet Society Foundation. It involves equipping locations identified by communities with a resilient satellite connectivity system so that affected communities can access the internet quickly after a disaster. Satellite connectivity is less affected by natural disasters and can be deployed immediately after a crisis situation, as it does not require terrestrial infrastructure.
Internet access in crisis situations is also essential for humanitarian organizations involved in the immediate response. This is particularly true for coordinating the various response actors and reporting information.
By enabling access to information and communication, connectivity is essential for improving the resilience, safety, and inclusiveness of disaster victims.
Our action
TSF is part of a crisis preparedness initiative and supports national actors by offering its expertise in emergency telecommunications to community centers and national Red Cross societies. The TSF team worked with teams from the various identified centers to co-create connectivity and energy solutions that are viable, sustainable, and adapted to the context, location, and needs.
Ten centers will be equipped with this connectivity in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Jamaica.
Responding to every phase of the crisis
In addition to the preparatory phase, the project's design includes a link to immediate communications response after a disaster. However, two major hurricanes occurred during the project: Beryl in July 2024 and Melissa in November 2025. In both cases, TSF coordinated with project partners in the affected regions, notably the Jamaica Red Cross, to provide a coherent response that complemented national capacities.
