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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."
They aren't 'donating' per se -- yes, they're giving it away at no cost, but it's VERY good publicity for them.
Just think how good it sounds to have two tech companies donating tech to relief efforts. NOw, if only FEMA would get with the times and realize that not everyone uses windows/IE...
Show this to your friends and family that don't know what a real hacker is
"The company considered installing wireless broadband in rebuilding, Smith said, but it found that it could recover most of its fiber network. The technologies will be used eventually. "I'm a big fan of WiMax," he said."
These products operate in the unlicensed 2.4GHz ISM band, or the licensed 2.3 GHz WCS, 2.5/2.6 GHz ITFS/MMDS, and 3.4/3.5 GHz WLL bands. Guess who owns the licensed spectrum - that's right, Bell South....big fan indeed.
Someone I speak to occasionally works in the communications industry, and after Katrina happened he started to chase up his superiors to see what can be done to deploy wireless communications in the disaster area - he made numerous calls to government officials to be told time after time that he was speaking to the *wrong* person - all the while the government were complaining "if only we had communications" - needless to say he's not been in a very good mood lately...
Better late than never I suppose, but this could have been so much more useful had it been set up earlier...
I suppose there never is a good time to install a technology that will cannibalize its bottom line.
According to TFA, "[BellSouth] expects to spend as much as $600 million to restore service on nearly half its 4.9 million lines in the gulf region and to 24 central offices, where local lines connect to the public phone network."
That's what, some $240+ per line? Thank god they're using wireless to cut costs in some instances!
Somehow I can't help but think that the price/performance comparison favours wireless...
Information: "I want to be anthropomorphized"
BSE has caused (roughly there may be more and perhaps less , some of the cases can not be artibuted to BSE infected beef)140 cases of variant CJD world wide since 96 . Almost all of those cases were caused infected meat in the late 80's to early 90's(since the meat from those days has gone well past its use by date , and since the regulations have been tightened there is a little to no risk ) . FEMA in their infantile(not a typographical error of infinite) wisdom are making frankly idiotic decisions.
It honestly wouldn't surprise me if they rejected the Wi-Max deployment as it is a waste of resources.. Resources which are being supplied from an external source and would likely not hurt any other area.
Wi-Max deployment could help co-ordinate rescue and recovery efforts immensely , also allow people to contact family members more easily.
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
There are lots of Katrina victims that are going to have to be permanently relocated. FEMA in its continuing bungling of the Katrina disaster seems to be overlooking that.
The American Voice has a solution that could be used to relocate some of the Katrina victims that are willing to work for what they get. The Katrina victims would be given free farms in the Western U. S. Not a bad idea imo. It gives the victims both a place to live and a way to earn a living. The farms are small family farms rather than big commercial operations. Nothing that would make anybody rich. But enough to have a nice wholesome life.
The article is Relocating the Victims of the 8/29 2005 Katrina Catastrophe. There are pros and cons to this plan. But at least someone has offered a plan that could work to relocate some of the Katrina victims.
Let's not forget Castro's pledge of 1000+ doctors, they haven't even replied to him yet.
..as an electrical engineer and telecommunications industry employee of some years, the thought of shared wireless bandwidth exceeding cabled infrastrature makes me.. laugh? cry?
Seriously, is anyone vetting slashdot articles to make sure they have some semblance to reality?
Well it is a good situation to update the infrastructure (although being one of the poorer areas of the US, I'd doubt they'd go too far due to a lack of major corporate backing). On that note, why would they avoid good old copper or other great technologies? The potential of copper (10-gigabit is the latest 'consumer' technology) is faster, more reliable, and more secure than any WiFi they can throw at it.
C'mon- WiFi is fun and all to save you running wires to your basement, or giving you e-mail while you check your coffee, but lets be realistic. It's a security issue. It's a reliability issue (interference, signal issues in certain areas, 'jamming'). And the spectrum only has so much room in it. Just run a few wires and call it a day.
-M
when you see the word 'Linux', drink!
So far as I can tell, most of the copper and other wiring underground was built to be flooded and probably doesn't require huge repair.
The more you know, the less you understand.
It looks like some folks have started using Mesh infrastructure (that Linux based stuff from http://locustworld.net/ which will use low cost/obsolete hardware. See
http://www.the-bains.us/
Instead of blindly trashing the telephone companies. Maybe we should remember their priority and mandate is to get basic telephone service back up for THEIR customers.
Grandma betty and Aunt Sue dont need a fancy wireless internet connection they need a phone line back up so they can call their other family and tell them they not dead.
quoting the article
"The best thing for us economically and the quickest thing from a customer service view is, if the lines are just down, put them back up," he said.
(DUH!)
"The company considered installing wireless broadband in rebuilding, Smith said, but it found that it could recover most of its fiber network. The technologies will be used eventually. "I'm a big fan of WiMax," he said."
(Clue for the clueless: Fiber is still better than wireless)
Bellsouth is a BIG company they think strategically not tactically. The most economical thing for them right now is simply restore their phone lines and their fiber networks. when they roll something out they do it en mass. They will be deploying 25mpbs service to all their customers within 3 years to provide both tv, phone service, and DSL over the same line.
As someone who made it through Hurricane Frances and Jean last year, Im glad bellsouth is on the job. I never lost my DSL service even though I lost my cable for 12 days and many of my neighbors lost power for 2 weeks.
Maybe once in a while the hidden hand of Adam Smith draws back a bloody stump, and the socialists -- in the name of altruism, justice, mercy and common sense -- win one. Right on! Community broadband forever! Just because it's possible to act like a dog in a manger, doesn't mean it's right to act like a dog in a manger.
``Tension, apprehension & dissension have begun!'' - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_
I am sitting on a street in Hattiesburg, MS looking at downed cable and telephone wires, no one is hanging them up. I would like to see them do it. 25-65 megs with television and telephone with advanced services would be smart. It would help my small linux company. I am in a third world of communications down here. My dsl stayed steady minus the DNS losing power for two days, but will go down soon as my phone lines are crushed. They are clustered before all apartment entrances down the street and are being constanly smashed by SUVs.
Cuba has a surplus of doctors. In spite of (or because of) a "one party" system, one of the things that Cuba does well is provide good health care for its people. Cuba regularly sends hundreds of doctors abroad (and yes, they speak english). I have encountered them in South Africa and countries in South America.
Cuba has basic health indicators that are as good as or better than the USA. This includes life expectancy, immunization (better than USA), infant mortality rate (better than USA), maternal mortality rate (better than USA).
This is a genuine offer of support from Cuba but we know the US will reject it for political reasons.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
Well, president Bush made it clear he wants to rebuild a prettier city. Now, cities have upgraded poor neighbourhoods in the past, with the result that the prices skyrocket and poor people get driven out. Once it is a fancy neighbourhood with rich people, national budgets will be easily diverted to build big constructions to divert the water. But right now, it isn't worth the trouble.
Also, note this:
> Telecom executives and analysts, though, aren't so sure it's the right time or place.
What they mean is: "Why should we try to sell fiberoptic network to poor people? They stink!" If they install fiber now, it will be only in the rich neighbourhoods, and it will only underline the factual segregation that is still present today in the USA. This has become painfully clear in the last weeks already, so indeed, it's not the right time nor place.
"It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey