Free Internet connectivity for quake victims, families

[Frederick Noronha <fred@bytesforall.org>]

Free Internet connectivity for quake victims, families
by Ela Dutt, India Abroad News Service

New York, Feb 9 - To help connect survivors of the Gujarat earthquake to
family and friends the world over, Startec Global Communications Corporation
is offering their Indian virtual community Web site's service free of
charge.

Startec, based in Bethesda, Maryland, announced that the quake survivors
could communicate with their families and friends at no charge by using
estart.com.

The victims can post voice and text messages on www.estart.com where family
and friends the world over can retrieve them. The messages will be converted
to voice messages on the web site. The system is accessible free of charge
from anywhere in India, Startec said.

"While traditionally used to bring communities together for news,
entertainment, sports, discussion forums and chat rooms, it is clear that it
(eStart) can also play an important role when disaster strikes emerging
countries and regular communications systems are paralyzed for extended
lengths of time," Startec CEO Ram Mukunda said.

Established in partnership with Dialnet, a Startec affiliate, eStart will
enable victims to leave text and voice mail messages for their families and
friends who live abroad, at a time when telephone services are facing an
overload.

"I am happy to learn of this unique and timely initiative by Startec, which
has harnessed technology to better serve the community. This will indeed
help friends and family members of the people affected by this earthquake
contact their loved ones at this difficult moment," said Naresh Chandra, the
Indian Ambassador to the U.S.

Individuals in Gujarat can leave their messages by logging onto the site or
can call Startec's Earthquake Helpline at 079-9372666 to both record and
hear messages from family members. Additional helplines have been set up in
four other locations in India. These include Delhi (011-9372666), Mumbai
(022-9372999), Kolkata (033-9372666) and Bangalore (080-9372666).

In the U.S. and abroad, individuals need only log on to the site and connect
to the Indian web site to retrieve or leave messages.

Startec is a leading provider of advanced communications and Internet
services to ethnic residential customers and enterprises transacting
business in the world's emerging economies.

-- India Abroad News Service