Extending a helping hand to quake-hit Japan, telecom equipment maker Ericsson has offered to supply satellite phones and solar-powered towers to the Japanese Government.
Ravaged by the recent earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese economy has suffered massive losses of people, property, communication lines and even a few damaged nuclear plants.
“We have offered help to the Japan government... We have offered to provide satellite phones for fast communication as it is the major problem as of now in that country.
“We have also offered to deploy solar-powered towers for communication purpose,” the Swedish entity’s Senior Vice-President, Business Unit, CDMA Mobile Systems, Mr Rima Qureshi said.
Mr Qureshi noted that Ericsson is ready to help Japan “in whichever way it is possible as our corporate social responsibility and on humanitarian ground’’.
According to the World Bank, the damages due to natural calamity could be up to $235 billion and the reconstruction efforts could take five years.
Going by estimates, the calamity would be one of the costliest disasters in recent times. The estimated damage, which could account for about 4 per cent of the economy, is much more than $100-billion loss incurred after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
With rising fears of nuclear radiation, many companies, including Indian IT players, have started calling back their employees from Japan.