IEEE’s Natural Disaster Relief Program Expanding to India, Jamaica, Pakistan, Turkey, and Puerto Rico

THE INSTITUTE After five years of providing U.S. communities with power, phone service, and Internet access in areas of widespread outages due to floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, the IEEE MOVE (Mobile Outreach VEhicle) program is expanding to other countries.

IEEE volunteers are busy setting up the emergency-relief and community-outreach program in India, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Turkey, as well as in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.

The MOVE truck is equipped with satellite Internet access, IP phone service, and the ability to charge up to 120 cellphone batteries simultaneously. The vehicle has a generator as well as three solar panels that sit on the roof. It also has a mobile television—for tracking storms—connected via a small receiver on the roof.

The IEEE volunteers involved with the program often coordinate their efforts with the American Red Cross.