An investment firm hired Ergo to analyze telecommunications reconstruction in Sichuan Province after the May 2008 earthquake. Our client was interested in investment opportunities tied to the rebuilding of the region's telecom infrastructure, and relied on Ergo to investigate the extent of the damage, the steps public and private sector entities were taking to restore communications, and the various local and foreign companies that were poised to win reconstruction contracts.

Ergo and our in-country teams in Beijing and Sichuan engaged Chinese telecommunications experts to provide insights on this complex issue, based on their professional experience with the relevant technologies, the recovery operations, and the regional companies and infrastructure. Experts who contributed their perspectives-many of whom were on the ground in Sichuan shortly after the earthquake—included presidents of leading telecommunications firms, current and former government officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and leaders from the Earthquake Rescue and Relief Group.

The information obtained by Ergo served as a critical element in the client's investment calculus. Based on the data and insights that Ergo assembled, the client attained a comprehensive understanding of the earthquake's impact on the province's communications system, the government's plans to rebuild it, and the investment opportunities into specific companies and equipment makers that would be involved in those large-scale projects.