US plans broadband safety network (BBC)

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US politicians have proposed a national wireless broadband network for use by emergency services at times of crisis.

The system, put forward by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would be built with private companies.

The proposal is a response to the communication problems highlighted during the 11th September attacks and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

At the moment the various US safety agencies use a patchwork of different communication systems to stay in touch.

"Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to hear local public safety personnel recount their experiences on the ground during the tragic events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," said Deborah Taylor Tate, commissioner at the FCC in a statement.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6199449.stm

A small amount of good may come out of these tragedies, after all. But it would have been better to have prevented them, for which we would have needed more than a stick figure in the White House.