Emergency Communication

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) caused immense damage and congestion in telephone infrastructure, including 1.9 million fixed-line services and 29,000 mobile phone base stations. Government radio communication infrastructure was also seriously damaged. Voice messages were widely used to confirm whether family members and relatives were safe, and satellite phones played a crucial role in emergency communication during the response stage. Social media was extensively used for search and rescue, as well as for fundraising. Social media and community radio reach two distinct age groups: social media for the younger generation and community radio for the older generation. Communication infrastructure is indispensable in securing government functions and protecting lives and property during disasters. Communication systems are used to disseminate warnings to the public, to enable search and rescue organizations to communicate among themselves, and to confirm the safety of family members and relatives. Community radios can provide local information such as times and locations where emergency water and food supplies or relief goods will be delivered.