Communications Options in This Era of Civil Disasters and Internet Censorship

A couple years ago, I wrote a piece on this blog about the use of MESH networks as a means of circumventing communications blackouts resulting from a shutdown of conventional networks by natural disasters or the deliberate actions of ISPs, governments, etc. Tornadoes and earthquakes play havoc with most communications systems other than amateur (HAM) or CB radio, or MESH networks. Furthermore, the problem of governments shutting off or severely restricting Internet access to their citizens for political reasons has NOT gone away since I wrote that earlier piece on MESH networks; if anything, it has become more prevalent. But there ARE workarounds for both the above mentioned situations.

While reading the news tonight, I stumbled across the following article:
Internet Shutdowns Don't Make Anyone Safer

Anyone concerned about emergency communications, freedom and security should seriously research MESH networks, amateur radio, MURS(Multi-Use Radio Service) radio, or any other options that may suit their specific purposes.

MESH networks are a form of distributed network that can run on cell phones, tablets, PCs and other wireless-enabled devices - independently of an ISP or other central control. Each device, or node in the network, communicates with multiple neighboring units within its range, allowing for a network that can dynamically reconfigure itself in the event of the failure of a node or nodes. Thus, all the devices in a neighborhood could be configured with the appropriate software to discretely communicate with one another. MESH networks can be confined to a single block or, given enough nodes, can expand to the size of a small town to provide relatively large area communications. If one or more nodes can still access the Internet, it (or they) can share that connection with all the others via the MESH network : )

Such a network can help facilitate emergency communications. Using this technology, news and alerts could be "pushed" to all devices in the network. In the immediate wake of a civil disaster such as a tornado or earthquake, when cell towers and other networks are out of commission, a MESH network could be rapidly deployed among a group of wireless-enabled devices with the appropriate software installed. If the MESH network extends to areas unaffected by the disaster, then access to the Internet is a simple matter, as mentioned above.

If wireless options are 'off the table', there's always the old trusty "sneaker net" - whereby people carried and passed files to one another on floppy discs or CD ROMS. Nowadays, this is easier than ever using thumb drives that have tens of gigabytes of storage capacity, are cheap, are reliable, rugged, and are easily stuffed in a pocket. When I was in graduate school, I sometimes used thumb drives to store and transport educational or other home videos I had created - thus saving time uploading or downloading on slow networks. I also didn't have to worry about whether or not I had network access when I wanted to play the video; keeping it on a thumb drive saved laptop hard disc space and/or allowed them to be played on someone else's computer.

If one is using radio, discrete communications are certainly possible. Despite the legal prohibitions against using any form of encryption on HAM and other radio services, one can easily prearrange certain phrases to convey sensitive information without compromising it. This is done regularly on open radio channels to address privacy or security issues in situations involving EMS, search and rescue operations, CERT volunteer deployments, etc.

Amateur (HAM) radio also supports a number of digital communications modes that can allow one to transmit text or even pictures via amateur radio to another station equipped to receive them. During an emergency, snapping a picture on one's tablet or phone and then transmitting it over the radio would be a fantastic way to rapidly SHOW others the actual conditions one is experiencing. The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" certainly applies here. A computer with a sound card (or a tablet) and the appropriate software are all you need - besides the radio - for some of the digital modes available.

FWIW.