Public Safety
India: Fisher Friend, Bringing Helpful Information to Rural Fishermen
 In 2007, fishermen in the Tsunami-affected Tamil Nadu region of India were provided mobile phones with a BREW application called Fisher Friend. Fisher Friend was created to bridge critical information gaps by enabling speedy dissemination of data. With just a single-click, fishermen can quickly access crucial information such as weather conditions, where they can and can't fish and market prices - all in their local language. Fisher Friend is the result of a collaboration with M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), a non-profit organization that is instrumental in providing information about the fishing communities; Tata Teleservices, the telecommunications operator who provided the handsets and 3G CDMA coverage in the fishing communities; and Astute Systems Technology, the company that developed and created the BREW program. The flexible nature of the technology platform allows Fisher Friend to be customized through a user-friendly control panel. The application can undergo further upgrades and changes according to the needs of the fishing communities. Wireless Reach and its partners continue to evolve the program by working closely with local fishermen to ensure the data is relevant and useful. Qualcomm and its partners hope to demonstrate through the BREW Fisher Friend application that advanced technology can improve the livelihood of fishermen and their families around the world. PARTNERS
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