Technological progress and new selection criteria mean that we have constantly to review the standardization of telecommunications equipment.

Do not hesitate to contact your technical department for any information regarding current standards.

There are several MSF guides to radio communications: these give comprehensive information on installing and using MSF standard equipment.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

Start by assessing your needs (point 1), before considering the local possibilities (point 2).

Then send all the information you have gathered, together with any comments, proposals or questions, to your TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT for discussion.

1. Evaluation of needs

• What is the structure of your mission: how many sites, how many people? Make a sketch showing the approximate distances.
• What are the requirements in terms of internal communication? What type (mail, fax, voice) and from where to where?
• What are the requirements in terms of international communication? What type and from where to where?
• What is the security situation? Are there special communication needs linked to security?

2. Evaluation of possibilities

• Is there a telephone network in the region? Is it reliable? Does it allow faxes to be sent? Can lines be obtained for the MSF office? Do such lines allow international communications?
• Is there an internet service provider (ISP)? Are its services reliable and fast? Is it linked to the government (confidentiality issue)?
• Does MSF have access to other organisations' communications facilities (post office, hotel, UN, other NGO etc.)?
• Is an authorization required to use a satellite phone, or HF or VHF radios? Is this difficult to obtain? How long will it take?
• What are the possibilities for sending mail by internal means (travel by MSF or other NGOs etc.)?
• What international mail facilities are available (mail, DHL, diplomatic bag etc.)?

DECISION TREE

The diagram below (page IX-7) represents the various possible methods of communication and shows the reasoning that should be followed in order to make the right choice.

Telecommunications can be divided into 3 categories according to the type of message to be sent:

A. Voice

B. Data

We refer to information which is sent to the recipient via a computer (e.g. email) as "data".

C. Image

We refer to information which reaches the recipient as a photograph as "image" communication. In practice this includes everything that arrives on a fax machine, even text.

REMARKS

• PSTN stands for "public switched telephone network" and is the official name of the global telephone network that MSF uses.
• ISP stands for "internet service provider".

NOTES ON THE DIAGRAM

• It is best to transport fragile and expensive equipment as hand luggage.
• Emails sent through the Internet cannot be considered confidential, especially when the ISP is controlled by a government.
• Sending emails using Outlook via PSTN lines is more confidential than using the Internet, but PSTN lines are often government property and email can be intercepted.
• Use other agencies' communications facilities (UN institutions etc.).
• Try to obtain other agencies' repeater frequencies (UN institutions etc.).
• The use of a 100% reliable voice communication system is possible where confidentiality is required or for security reasons.
• HF networks can transmit emails using the Wavemail system. For more information, contact your technical department.

BASE RADIO / ANTENNA SELECTION

HF MOBILE RADIO / ANTENNA

A vehicle radio always has the same configuration: Codan Envoy X1 radio + Codan 3040 antenna.