Louisiana Governor Blasts Faulty Wireless Networks

[RandiFan1290]

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=170700144

By EE Times
Sept. 2, 2005


WASHINGTON — Struggling to cope with widespread chaos in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco blasted telecommunications providers for the apparent collapse of the state's wireless network.

"The communications network is completely gone," Blanco said Thursday (Sept. 1) as the situation in New Orleans grew more chaotic by the hour. Blanco said wireless networks throughout the state remained down, and that state officials were unable to use hand-held communications devices like Blackberrys.

Hurricane Katrina has again exposed shortcomings in emergency communications networks and the vulnerability of wireless networks during emergencies. Critics said more spectrum needs to be earmarked for emergency communications, and that networks need more redundancy to function in disasters.

As of Friday, calls to hurricane relief centers in Louisiana were still not being answered. The only response was that "all circuits are busy."

[fasttense]

1. Just another thing that could have been taken care of before the storm hit

[mtnester]

2. For christs sake...Nextel brings in sticks for NASCAR races

and public safety is supposed to have priority over EVERYONE...put the blame where it needs to be ...if they are using Nextel, Nexel ought to be held feet to fire.

[BootinUp]

3. This is silly.

Emergency communication systems should not rely on cell phone infrastructure.

[LunaSea]

5. Absolutely......

bad bad idea to rely on it. I would hope the system our state governors get is better than what they sell to you and me. (Betcha its not). Did the contractor promise it would function in all type of emergencies? He knows this is like really important, life and death, official state business, right?

Worthwhile questions.

What was plan B?

What was plan C?

It gets expensive, but thats what we pay taxes for right?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Didn't I read somewhere that FEMA has

satellite phones?

Gee, if they had been there TUESDAY, maybe . :eyes:

[Cooley Hurd]

6. The DoD should send in Blimps as mobile communications platforms...

Thanks to DUer Flaxbee for this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4610127

<snip>
When the storm approached the Gulf coast I called offering simple suggestions to government types (since this was obviously from all reports going to be a terrible storm) of how to bring communications systems up as soon as the storm passed. I recommended bringing in Blimps with portable cell transceivers and VHF, UHF and other types of broadcast equipment and also equipment to aid in the search and rescue effort. No one was interested.
</snip>

[LunaSea]

7. Ham operators

Usually drag their gear into disaster areas, being the 'save the world' kind of geeks they are. I heard tell of hams who tried but were turned away, but have no verification.

Those folks have been invaluable in times of need for as long as we've had radio.

Can a governor commandeer a tv satellite truck?

[cthrumatrix]

9. emergency = blocking communictions...why?

[cthrumatrix]

8. why are they down? FEMA has been cutting lines? Is there

proof as to why they are down?