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Ask Slashdot: Could We Reconnect Eastern Libya?
GrumpyBagpuss writes "We all know that the internet is supposed to route around damage, but currently eastern Libya is off the net because all their connectivity goes through Tripoli. How difficult would it to be to reconnect eastern Libya via a microwave link to Crete? It's less than 200km away, on the Libyan end there are mountains up to 850m and on Crete they're higher than 2000m. People have achieved distances of over 300km with simple WiFi equipment, but would it be possible to increase the bandwidth to handle a whole, or at least half a country? How would you connect the link at both ends? What other problems would there be? How many Pringles cans would we need?"
Those people were almost all in Tripoli. There are a few thosuand people with access in the Western parts, frequently via WiMax connection, which is run by the state telecom.
Since that is shut down, beaming some sort of backbone at them doesn't do jack.....
Télécoms sans Frontières already deployed a team to the libyan-tunesian border.
http://www.tsfi.org/en/action/emergencies/147-tsf-deploye-a-la-frontiere-tunisielibye
Consider donating some money: http://www.tsfi.org/en/action/donateonline
In my opinion as of a long time network and internet engineer (+25 years). Satellite based Internet is fastest way if we just got them gear on ground.
http://www.satsig.net/ivsat-europe.htm
It's not that great for all use like voip or interactive shell use because of latency and jitter, but for file transfers uploading and downloading web browsing, email, twitter etc. it is OK.
Do you really think an AK-47 is that hard to figure out? There's a reason that's the rifle of choice for conscript armies the world over.
Firing a weapon isn't brain surgery, it doesn't take years of practice to do it right. Just give them the gun, tell them where to point the end the bullets come out of and how to put more in, then let 'em go.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Why bother with microwave links, cables, mountains, etc. when you can drop a few hundred satellite modems with wifi. I guess they have satellite dishes already, all they need are a modem and an omnidirectional antenna in each neighborhood.
BINGO
More importantly, modern VSAT equipment is moderately portable (e.g. in a small vehicle). You can break it down in about 10 minutes and set it up again in about 20. Perfect for the rebel/journalist/activist on the move. You can buy complete systems (dish, modem, switches, software etc.) for less than US$5000.00. Add a couple/three 12 dBi wifi panels and you can service a fairly large area, depending on your location. Power requirements are low enough that you could run most of it from the battery of the truck you're transporting it on.
(Yeah, I've looked into this stuff in the past while doing consulting work in the developing world....)
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.