EmComm Exercise on QO-100

Amateur radio emergency communications exercises don't typically include satellites, but QO-100 isn't your typical amateur satellire. It is geostationary, appearing to remain in the same spot overhead at all times, meaning that access from all stations within its "footprint" is continuous. That footprint covers much of Europe, all of Africa and parts of Asia and South America.

In late February, according to the AMSAT News Service, 22 amateurs from 14 countries in IARU Region 1 (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) took part in a short-notice EmComm exercise using the QO-100 satellite. The coverage area extended from South Africa to the United Kingdom, providing an avenue for communication in a wide-ranging disaster situation without dependence on either the internet or the ionosphere. A follow-up exercise is planned for this fall.