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Wi-Max Deployed in Katrina Disaster Area
Spy Handler writes "In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina's destruction of telecom infrastructure in New Orleans, officials are turning to wireless broadband for use by government workers. Intel, a key backer of WiMax, and Cisco are donating wireless equipment to aid disaster workers. This could be a good opportunity to replace an antiquated system of copper wires with brand-new technology." From the article: "Shakouri and other industry experts contend that the devastation of Hurricane Katrina offers a chance to build the sort of modern network that phone and cable companies have promised for years. Such a network -- whether wireless or fiber-optic -- could deliver movies or medical records at speeds hundreds of times faster than current Internet connections. Telecom executives and analysts, though, aren't so sure it's the right time or place."
Its times like this that the big firms should be congradulated. I dont see microsoft doing things like this *whistles*
OK, so Bill Gates isn't actually Microsoft, per se - but he's personally holding a lot of the stock and cash that has resulted from their growth. I'm sure it pains you to know that he's donated, personally, a fortune to relief and charities. Just one donation (the largest in history) was $5 Billion towards malaria relieft and innoculation of children. The Gates foundation has already donated $1.5 million towards hurricane relief this week (mostly through the red cross).
As for Microsoft itself, you might want to at least spend a couple of moments reading before you assume they're doing nothing. They have already lined up $9 Million in cash and donations in IT systems to help the local governments impacted by the storm. They're matching their employees' donations - and those people have collectively put up over a million as well. They've deployed three satellite communications busses in Baton Rouge and Mississippi, and are working directly with Intel and Cisco on support of Red Cross operations.
There are two predictable things, here. One - that since MS routinely does these things, they are doing it now, too - whether or not the press mentions it. And two - that it would of course never get a posting on slashdot, just on principle.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
Here's the "first post" on it right here in slashdot. Of course many simply flamed.
"Now would be a fantastic opportunity to install a citywide Wi-Fi network. If the ILEC was ever going to do it and get good press for it, now is the time. Could Intel use another test bed for Wi-Max?"
Hey, I don't like Microsoft either, but the truth is that they have donated resources:
http://katrinasafe.org/
and I know personally they have been donating their expertise via conference calls and software licenses for PCs for shelters. And possibly in other ways as well; I've been too busy lately to keep dibs on Microsoft.
I live in the affected area and I am a volunteer for the Red Cross.
I think its also fair to bring to attention a post made by scoble [http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011] on channel9 publishing an internal ms letter [http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=112 438#112438] which lists some of the efforts of employees into the hurricane relief.
When a tropical cyclone (like a hurricane but spins clockwise) hit and distroyed Darwin, NT on Christmas day 1974, all of the copper was ripped up, but the microwave telephone link remained operational. I'm not sure if this is really the same thing, since those microwave stations are a hell of a lot bigger than anything to do with wimax, but wireless does tend to survive huge natural disasters fairly well.
When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem