Humanitarian Convoy on the Move (COTM) connectivity
- Matthew Cua | Innovation and IT Director
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Persistent Connectivity for Humanitarian Convoys: Help.NGO’s Convoy on the Move (COTM) Communication solution.
Help.NGO's technical specialists configure the COTM Communication system prior to a high-priority humanitarian convoy deployment in Ukraine
Across conflict zones and disaster-affected regions worldwide, humanitarian convoys represent the lifeline delivering essential aid to millions of vulnerable civilians. In Ukraine, these convoys navigate through shifting frontlines and damaged infrastructure to reach isolated communities, transporting critical supplies including food, medicine, and shelter materials to those caught in the crossfire. Similar convoy operations in Sudan, Gaza, and other crisis hotspots face daunting challenges—from active combat zones and unexploded ordnance to bureaucratic roadblocks and severe infrastructure collapse. These mobile humanitarian operations often constitute the only reliable means of delivering life-saving assistance to populations cut off from basic necessities, making their operational success a matter of survival for countless families.
The effectiveness of these convoy missions hinges on reliable, secure, and continuous communication—for accessing critical security updates, coordinating with checkpoints, receiving route adjustments, and maintaining contact with local authorities and populations in need. Without robust connectivity, convoy teams face potentially life-threatening blind spots in their situational awareness, jeopardizing not only the mission but the lives of humanitarian workers and the vulnerable communities they serve.
In humanitarian missions, reliable communication is not just a convenience—it's a lifeline. As part of its commitment to innovating humanitarian response, Help.NGO launched and deployed the Convoy on the Move (COTM) Communications project in partnership with AWS and partner United Nations agencies.
Understanding the Challenge
Convoys in humanitarian missions face multiple obstacles when it comes to connectivity:
Infrastructure gaps: Humanitarian operations frequently encounter severe infrastructure limitations, including unreliable or nonexistent cellular networks (3G/4G/5G) and insufficient radio repeater coverage in critical deployment zones.
Electromagnetic interference: High-risk areas with active combat operations, as well as regions with unique geological and meteorological formations, can generate electromagnetic interference that degrades or completely disables vital communication systems.
Legal and licensing constraints: Humanitarian operations often encounter regulatory barriers where certain communication technologies are unavailable due to legal restrictions and licensing requirements, particularly challenging during rapid-onset emergency responses.
Without reliable connectivity, humanitarian convoy operations face potentially devastating consequences:
Security risks: The inability to transmit or receive urgent updates places vehicles, valuable aid supplies, and—most critically—humanitarian personnel at significant risk in volatile environments.
Operational delays: Limited real-time communication severely impairs decision-making capabilities and situational awareness throughout convoy routes, at security checkpoints, mission-critical locations, and across the broader operational area.
Reduced morale and increased stress: Personnel isolated from communication with colleagues and loved ones, or unable to access critical contextual information such as news updates, experience heightened stress and diminished morale—particularly problematic in high-risk deployment zones.
Mission failure: Compromised situational awareness due to communication breakdowns can lead to mission collapse through delayed policy decisions, security incidents, or basic access challenges that might otherwise be anticipated and mitigated.
These multifaceted challenges drove Help.NGO and its partners to design, develop, and deploy a comprehensive solution that provides persistent communication for convoys with robust operational resilience and the flexibility to overcome diverse environmental, legal, and operational constraints.
The Solution: Multi-Layered Connectivity for Convoys
The COTM Connectivity solution implements a sophisticated, multi-tiered approach that integrates diverse communication, processing, and security technologies to ensure maximum redundancy and operational resilience:
Radio Connectivity: Professional-grade VHF/UHF Radio systems fully compliant with United Nations minimum operating security standards and pre-installed in UN vehicles, providing essential voice communications even in the most challenging environments.
In-Vehicle WiFi: Each convoy vehicle features dedicated WiFi infrastructure delivering secure connectivity to mission-critical devices and personal equipment of team members through intelligently managed backhaul connections.
Intra-Vehicle WiFi Mesh: Sophisticated mesh networking interconnects all convoy vehicles, enabling seamless communication between vehicles while intelligently distributing internet access across the convoy by leveraging the optimal backhaul connection from any vehicle in the formation.
4G/5G Connectivity: Every vehicle incorporates advanced multi-carrier cellular solutions that simultaneously connect to multiple local providers, ensuring maximum signal availability and automatic failover capability in areas with limited cellular infrastructure.
Satellite Connectivity: Comprehensive satellite communications suite featuring strategically positioned antennas accessing multiple orbital technologies: Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) via Starlink, Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Satellites through advanced Kymeta terminals utilizing Intelsat satellite networks.
Edge Computing through AWS Snowball Edge: To reduce bandwith consumed on the backhaul connectivity links, an AWS Snowball Edge is used to run various applications such as Wireguard, TAK (Tactical Awareness Kit), Wickr Enterprise, map server, storage server and many more that then connects to the various in-convoy vehicles to deliver communications, situational awareness and data processing capabilities.
SD-WAN Appliance: Enterprise-grade software-defined wide area networking solution that significantly enhances reliability and security by intelligently managing multiple backhaul connectivity options and optimizing traffic routing based on real-time network conditions.
Key Technologies Deployed
AWS Snowball Edge: Provides edge computing for real-time data processing, integrating geospatial analytics and situational awareness tools like TAK (Tactical Awareness Kit) for convoy operations.
AWS Wickr: Ensures encrypted, secure communication for voice, video, text, and file-sharing, critical for maintaining confidentiality in high-risk environments.
Low-Earth Orbit Connectivity : Through SpaceX's Starlink
Medium and Geostationary Orbit (Multi-Orbit) Connectivity : Through Intelsat and Kymeta
LoRaWAN IoT Devices and Gateways: Collects environmental and asset data, enhancing convoy situational awareness and efficiency. Help.NGO uses Seeedstudio's T1000 LoRa Trackers and their M2 Gateway to track personnel and assets.
Klas' TRX R2 (with SD-WAN support): Seamless network transitions (cellular and satcom), ensuring reliable connectivity across multiple WAN technologies.
WireGuard VPN running on AWS EC2: Lightweight, high-performance VPN ensures secure, encrypted communication between edge devices, user devices, routers, cloud resources and and other services hosted on AWS Cloud.
Results: A Transformational Impact
The COTM Connectivity solution deployment delivered results in various locations that Help.NGO deployed the solution including but not limited to:
Unprecedented Connectivity Reliability:
Achieved near-perfect operational uptime of 100%* compared to the previous 30-80% connectivity rates experienced during earlier missions—a critical advancement for humanitarian operations in challenging environments.
Substantial Cost Efficiencies:
Dramatically reduced fuel consumption and associated costs by enabling remote communications instead of physical travel.
Optimized convoy staffing requirements, allowing for leaner, more efficient personnel deployment.
Significantly enhanced productivity for both field teams and mission coordination staff, maximizing operational impact.
Critical Time Optimization:
Streamlined checkpoint procedures through real-time stakeholder communication and electronic document transmission (mission clearances, travel authorizations).
Minimized delays caused by route obstructions through immediate notification and rerouting capabilities.
Eliminated unnecessary travel previously required solely for communication purposes.
Accelerated decision-making through immediate access to key stakeholders and enhanced situational awareness.
Enhanced Operational Security:
Substantially reduced exposure of humanitarian personnel and valuable assets to environmental and security risks.
Increased Morale
Measurably improved field team morale through consistent connectivity to command centers and support networks.
*While latency and bandwidth limitations may occur in certain challenging environments, the system maintains continuous connectivity availability. Does not include environments with active electronic warfare systems
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
Help.NGO continuously refines the COTM Communication Solution and is actively exploring integration of additional technologies:
Global eUICC eSIM System: Deploying eSIMs for end-user devices and IoT devices that can connect to various cellular providers globally as well as integrating satellite direct to cell capabilities.
Survivable Private 4G/5G at the Edge: Deploying 4G/5G Antennas in the vehicles in conjunction with Vehicle WiFi to increase range and reliability of connections to end-user devices and IoT devices.
Integration of AI/ML-powered solutions: Deploying at the edge AI/ML solutions to reduce bandwidth consumption on the backhaul and reduce latency in delivering information for situational awareness.
Additionally, Help.NGO is developing enhanced modularity to scale the system for adoption by various humanitarian missions operating across diverse operational contexts.
Partner Collaboration: A Key to Success
The success of the COTM project is a testament to the strength of the partnerships of Help.NGO
We would like to thank the following private partners:
MAD Services for providing invaluable subject matter expertise (SME) in developing and deploying the solution.
AWS Disaster Response Team and the dedicated AWS volunteers for their expert guidance in architecture design and vital field support.
AWS Wickr Team for delivering crucial technical support for field communications.
Starlink for providing essential LEO connectivity and responsive technical support.
Intelsat for supplying MEO and GEO connectivity infrastructure alongside comprehensive technical assistance.
Kymeta for furnishing diverse satellite connectivity solutions spanning GEO to LEO technologies and expert technical guidance.
Klas for providing the TRX2 device and implementing the SD-WAN solution, which is critical for secure connectivity.
Pente Networks for providing expertise and hardware in the development of Private 4G/5G systems
SeeedStudio for provide and hardware in the development of LoRa
Their generosity, expertise, and commitment were truly integral to the project's success and continued development.
About Help.NGO
Help.NGO is an International Non-Governmental Organization specializing in emergency response, preparedness, risk mitigation, and prevention. Registered as a non-profit in the European Union with operations across the globe, Help.NGO leverages cutting-edge technological solutions and expertise to improve national and international disaster response mechanisms before, during, and after emergencies.
Help.NGO focuses on increasing the capacity of national and international institutions through the provision of strategic guidance, technical expertise, and training. Drawing on a range of Subject Matter Experts, we help to enable local actors to respond efficiently and effectively across the entire humanitarian-development nexus – not only in the wake of an emergency but prior to and throughout the disaster life cycle.
Through the co-development of solutions with private and public sector leaders, we aim to optimize the use of time, resources, and funding in all aspects of our humanitarian and development operations. By providing experts-on-mission, deploying predefined service packages, delivering capacity-building assistance, and supporting sustainability, Help.NGO has spent over a decade working to reduce the effects of natural disasters, man-made conflicts, economic disparity, climate change, epidemics, and other public health emergencies through enduring humanitarian and development assistance
Written by :
Matthew Aligaen Cua, he is the Innovation Director of HELP.NGO and an Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). With a background in integrating technology into humanitarian efforts, Matthew has led numerous missions worldwide, focusing on enhancing disaster response through innovative solutions.
Matthew Silver, U.S.-based Research Consultant at Help.NGO. He supports the organization’s global operations by leading critical research initiatives, overseeing communications quality, and advancing strategic development efforts across multiple domains. Matthew holds a B.S. in Sociocultural Anthropology and Political Science from Colgate University and is passionate about applying rigorous analysis to humanitarian efforts, bridging academic insight with real-world impact.
Contact Information:
Email: mcua@aim.edu, matt@help.ngo
For more information on HELP.NGO’s work, please visit www.help.ngo.
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