[wsfii-discuss] disasters and telecom

Fri Oct 14 19:36:01 UTC 2005

On Fri, Oct 14, 2005 at 09:33:09AM +0000, Arun Mehta wrote:
> In disaster after disaster, we have seen how the immediate and 
> catastrophic failure of telecom compounds the misery of the people. I 

People should build the infrastructure themselves and go independent
(solar/wind power). Then governments and telecoms can stick their
precious networks up their ...

> believe WSFII should work on a strategy to combat this, taking advantage 
> of all the experience our US friends gathered after Katrina. Possible 
> actions:
> 
> 1. Can we not, possibly from the Djursland institute, coordinate a task 
> force that drops what it is doing and rushes with equipment to the 
> disaster zone, the way organisations such as the Red Cross or MSF do?

Commercial optical datalinks (FSO) vendors often mention the quick deployment
as advanteage of FSO. Maybe if one built dozen of Ronjas
on sturdy tripods (with bolts for hammering down the soil), solar- or
battery-operated, one could quickly set up a reliable backbone
infrastructure in affected areas.

Especially considering the fact that retranslation station doesn't
require any intelligence, just two RX, two TX, and like 200mA power @12V
from battery to keep them running (one piece is already in operation in
gallery of registered installations). One wouldn't need any PC's, acces
points - nothing. Just arrive with jeep, place tripod, hammer down into
soil, install heads, align, connect lead-acid battery, jump into jeep
and head for next location... two jeeps could set up tens of kilometers
of backbone fast. No software configuration and maintenance necessary.

A 10Mbps full duplex Ronja backbone can carry 1000 9600bps mobile phone
calls simultaneously, smoothly, without congestion hazard. Enough for
people to call to find out if their concerned ones are still alive or in
a hospital or wherever.

> 2. Can we look at stocking or, if needed, developing hardware that might 
> help in disasters? For instance, now that so many people carry mobile 
> phones on their person, a simple detector might help in finding people 
> buried under rubble.
> 3. Best would be, if among the people affected by the disaster, were 
> those who already knew how to set up wireless networks. In that case, 
> even people cut off from the rest of the world could get the message 
> across, something that would have been invaluable in Kashmir these last 
> few days. Can we not make special effort to train people in areas that 

I think those people should rather make special effort in interesting
themselves in user controlled technology because that is the only
way how they can have their survival under their control when
governments and corporations show clueless in case of disaster.
Such cluelessness was perfectly demonstrated in New Orleans - and U. S.
are supposed to be most technologically advanced world's superpower!

CL<
> are particularly prone to disasters, such as the Pacific rim and the 
> Himalayan region? If those affected early on by the tsunami had been 
> able to raise the alarm, many lives might have been saved.
> 
> Arun