Haiti Information and Communications Observations Trip Report for Visit 18 February to 1 March 2010 Larry Wentz Senior Research Fellow Center for Technology and National Security Policy National Defense University (
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[email protected]) Version 1.0 (8/24/10) Table of Contents Executive Summary...……………………………………………………………………..2 Situation…………………………………………………………………………………...3 Purpose and Visit Coverage…………………………………………………………….....4 Setting the Stage…………………………………………………………………………..6 Haitian ICT Situation…………………………………………………………………….24 USG ICT Whole-of-Government Response……………………………………………. 28 Observations and Perceptions…………………………………………………………... 33 The “Need to do Better” Side of the Story……………………………………………....42 Thoughts on the Way Ahead…………………………………………………………….43 Summary of Abbreviations………………………………………………………………45 1 Executive Summary This paper recounts the observations of a visit to Haiti from 18 February to 1 March 2010, regarding the effects of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Haiti’s information and communications (ICT) 1 infrastructure and capacity. In addition to detailing the degree of destruction dealt to the ICT sector, the paper also addresses the major actors and agencies involved in the effort to restore the ICT sector, and their actions. Finally, the role ICT played in the rescue and recovery effort, in both a traditional sense and in never-before- used capacities, is also explored. This visit supported a research project that the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at the National Defense University (NDU) is undertaking regarding the role of information and communications as an “essential service” and “critical infrastructure” in crisis response operations. The Haiti earthquake provided a chance to capture and document ICT lessons related to activities of the Government of Haiti and the International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and the US Government crisis response participants.