Continuing evidence of the importance of wireless telecommunications during the health crisis comes from the UAE, where satellite services are playing a part in the UAE’s efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic – in this case through Dubai’s ambulance services.
Mobile satellite services company Thuraya has announced that it is providing always-on satellite connectivity to Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services through its partner Cygnus Telecom, a provider of customized telecommunications and surveillance solutions for business needs, headquartered in Dubai.
Following the launch of Mobile Laboratory Units by Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services to provide free home-based testing for the elderly and people with special needs, Cygnus Telecom, the master distributor of Thuraya’s voice solutions, has equipped 12 ambulances with Thuraya X5-Touch satellite phones so that paramedics remain connected while on duty in the remote areas of Dubai or on marine ambulances at sea.
The Android-based Thuraya X5-Touch devices offer various innovative safety features useful for medical responders, including advanced navigation, tracking and a built-in SOS button for emergencies. In addition to providing satellite connectivity, they keep users connected over terrestrial telecom networks so that they are also available on their local mobile numbers.
Thuraya and Cygnus Telecom have long supported medical missions within the Middle East and Africa with satellite-powered telemedicine solutions, including teleconferencing kits and connected ambulances.
