Vocati Communications, Inc.

Archive for the ‘Haiti’ Category

Haiti Services Could Take Months to Fully Restore

We currently are processing about 90% of calls destined to cell phones as the cell phone companies in Haiti have done an excellent job in getting power and connectivity back to the cell phone towers.  When attempting to call Haiti, it is best to use a person’s cellular phone rather than their land line, if possible.

Land lines are still highly affected by the earthquake.  Currently, only about 60% of calls to Land Lines are processing in and around the capital of Haiti.  The rest of the country’s Land Lines are performing better at around 70%.

At this time, we will suspend our regular update of communications to Haiti.  Please feel free to contact us for any additional information.

As of 10:30 PM on January 18th 2010, services to Haiti have been restored to 85% of the affected areas on Cell Phones.  Land Lines are still heavily affected, however we are now connecting up to 50% of attempted calls.

PDD (Post Dial Delay or the time after the call is attempted until the first ring is heard) is still in excess of 8 seconds at times.  Please be patient.

Again, our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by this terrible disaster.

B-Evolved.com and Vocati Communications

B-Evolved.com and Vocati Communications have teamed in the offering of a program called “Minutes for Haiti”.

The aim of the program is to get corporations from around the world to subsidize some communications to family, friends and loved ones in the affected areas of Haiti.  The concept is simple…Sponsors donate a penny a minute for a phone call to Haiti.

For example, companies can donate 1000 minutes to this program.  The cost is $10.00 USD.  B*Evolved and Vocati Communications then connect people wanting to call Haiti with their loved ones in Haiti.  The entire program is underwritten by these sponsors.  Sponsors will be listed on both websites as the program evolves.

It is important to note that there is NO PROFIT TAKEN by either Vocati Communications or B*Evolved for this initiative.  We look at this as our responsibility as citizens of our planet.  We will not profit on the misfortunes of others or acts of God.

If you or your company is interested in contributing to this program, please visit www.b-evolved.com or write haiti@vocaticommunications.com

At Vocati Communications, we are not setup to efficiently process direct donations to the recovery efforts in Haiti.  I want to thank each and everyone who has offered to send donations directly to us, but we are not setup to make effective use of these donations.  Instead, President Barack Obama just published a letter to the public with a link for people who want to make donations to these recovery efforts.  We ask that if you want to donate money, please use the link in his letter below to process these donations.

If you are a telecommunications provider, carrier or retailer and would like to assist us in this effort with interconnections, available channels or some other capacity, please send an email to haiti@vocaticommunications.com.

From the President of the United States of America

Good Afternoon,

The reports and images from Haiti of collapsed hospitals, crumbled homes, and men and women carrying their injured neighbors through the streets are truly heart-wrenching. As we learn more about the extent of the devastation, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and Haitian Americans around our country who do not yet know the fate of their families and loved ones back home.

I have directed my Administration to respond with a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives. The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States Government in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble and to deliver the humanitarian relief — the food, water and medicine — that Haitians will need in the coming days.

This is also a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share, and Americans have always responded to these situations with generosity of spirit. If you would like to support the urgent humanitarian effort in Haiti, I encourage you to visit our website where you can learn more about how to contribute:

http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake

Americans trying to locate family members in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at (888) 407-4747.

We will continue to stand with the people of Haiti and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Looking for Loved Ones in Haiti?

We have received some emails and phone calls from people looking for loved ones in Haiti after yesterday’s earthquake.

There are two sources we have found so far that may be able to assist.

First, If you’re worried about a family member who may have been in the quake, contact the U.S. State Department Operations Center at 1-888-407-4747.

Second, Join the EARTHQUAKE HAITI group on Facebook if you’re looking for loved ones in Haiti.

We hope these resources can be helpful to you.

The B*Evolved Team led by Julie Bartleson has graciously agreed to assist Vocati Communications and any other communications company interested in connecting friends and loved ones in the aftermath of the tragedy in Haiti today.

B*Evolve’s Elizabeth Mcdonald is arranging an emergency meeting at 10 PM Pacific Time (1 AM Eastern Time) to discuss our plans in the coming days and months to assist both on the ground in Haiti and here in the United States.

In addition, we have mobilized persons in Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic to lend a hand.

As plans evolve on this project, we will make updates on this page.  If anyone is interested in assisting us, please send an email to haiti@vocaticommunications.com

At 8:14 PM Eastern Time today we re-routed all calls destined for Haiti through Brazil.

We are now completing over 70% of calls into the country of Haiti and are assessing long term communications strategies for the coming days and weeks.

If there is anyone in need of calling Haiti, we can reserve a channel for you and try to get a call through.  We will try and get messages to family and friends in the event that we can not complete your call.  For more information, please send an email to haiti@vocaticommunications.com

The strongest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help and heavily damaging the National Palace, U.N. peacekeeper headquarters and other buildings. U.S. officials reported bodies in the streets and an aid official described “total disaster and chaos.”

United Nations officials said hours after the 7.0-magnitude quake struck at 4:53 p.m. that they still couldn’t account for a large number of U.N. personnel.

Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a full picture of damage as powerful aftershocks shook a desperately poor country where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was out in some places.

Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in Port-au-Prince, told U.S. colleagues before phone service failed that “there must be thousands of people dead,” according to a spokeswoman for the aid group, Sara Fajardo.

“He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince,” Fajardo said from the group’s offices in Maryland.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington that U.S. Embassy personnel were “literally in the dark” after power failed.