Quake-hit Italy: Open up Wi-Fi

Rescuers in Italy are asking people in the country's earthquake ravaged areas to open their Wi-Fi networks. The branches of the Red Cross have requested that residents in the cities where a 6.2 magnitude quake hit remove the password protections on their wireless networks so rescuers can use them to communicate. More than 250 …

[Mage]

That's daft

It assumes that the residents still have connectivity and power.

Disaster recovery people need real commercial two-way radio, satellite gear and Mobile operators should drop in microwave link or satellite fed base stations.

[Dan 55]

Re: That's daft

I don't think it's that well funded or organised. Red Cross is a volunteer organisation after all.

Buildings in the earthquake zone were supposed to have been reinforced after a previous earthquake 7 years ago, you can see what should have happened and what has happened.

See also: flood defences in the UK.

[Suricou Raven]

Re: That's daft

They just lost some funding: One of their offices just kicked out a volunteer who wandered in and just say around praying publically, so now a 'wah, wah, persecution' story is running in the right-wing American media and a boycott movement is forming.

[Alister]

Re: That's daft

I agree with Mage, rescue organisations should not expect normal civil infrastructure to still exist after a natural disaster like this. The International Red Cross is a well funded, well organised group, who should have their own communications ability.

In the UK the local Red Cross and St John Ambulance have their own VHF / UHF radio gear, as well as access to RAYNET etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's daft

In this day and age access to FTP and net based traffic for maps, news, e-mail etc is massively helpful for emergency services. There might even be certain apps that can be useful in different circumstances that might be handy to download and install.

Getting a drone image distributed quickly to all the rescuers is easier over tcp/ip than it is over UHF, especially when dealing with multi agency.

The emergency services will be using radio gear, but it doesn't mean that it is all compatible and has the multi-agency channels programmed in. WiFi is just another tool in their armoury, if people get the message and have WiFi then great, if they have no power and comms then they probably won't be on twitter anyway.

[Robert Carnegie]

Re: That's daft

I agree, these volunteer organisations are completely unprofessional. ...What?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's daft

The implication is: within the disaster area, cellular services are down, but power and fixed-line Internet access is up??

[the spectacularly refined chap]

Re: That's daft

Disaster recovery people need real commercial two-way radio, satellite gear and Mobile operators should drop in microwave link or satellite fed base stations.

Who says it has to be either/or? More options give more flexibility and convenience. Voice communications is a poor substitute if you really need to send a photo for example, or the ability to consult online maps could clearly save time and potentially lives.

Put another way, why are you insisting rescue teams should have fewer tools at their disposal?

[Anonymous Coward]

Completely daft

People should reply to that tweet saying "yeah, sure, I'll open up my WiFi if you sign this indemnity form".

[Dan 55]

Re: Completely daft

I would do it, but on a second SSID/VLAN.

[Anonymous Coward]

mobile base station trucks

Over in Japan, where they are use to regular earthquakes, it seems the carriers are providing mobile base station trucks.

Below is a link to a Japanese Government report which came out 1 month after the disaster in 2011.

http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/Releases/NewsLetter/Vol22/vol22_1/vol22_1.html

● 1,035 mobile communication equipment and 927 satellite phone units have been supplied at no cost.

● Over 100 portable power generators and 36 mobile base station trucks have been provided.

● Public telephone calls are not charged; approximately 2,200 new public telephones have been specially installed.

● Various dedicated services have been set up as part of the disaster relief effort, including a phone message service to help people get in contact and a broadband message board.

● Free internet connections have been set up at evacuation centers.

● Basic telephone rate have been reduced or waived altogether, and payment deadlines have been extended. etc.

[Trigonoceps occipitalis]

WIFI works

My brother was in Christchurch (NZ) when the earthquake struck. No power, no water and no gas. Also no comms. Being an ex BT engineer he quickly had his car battery connected to his router and was able to get the "I'm OK" email out to family and friends.

After the explosive event at Mari in Cyprus I was in the same comms state but the internet still worked.

"Disaster recovery people need real commercial two-way radio, satellite gear and Mobile operators should drop in microwave link or satellite fed base stations."

Any, and I mean any, comms are useful in these situations. Bean cans and string if that is all that is available if other richer, more high profile or even more important organisations have bagged the best. Ham radio operators and CB have a good record here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: WIFI works

Also no comms.

If comms were out, how did getting power to his router help anything? There'd be no way for the router to forward it anywhere.

From the description, it sounds more like comms weren't really out, just power was.

[Uberseehandel]

All they have to do is ask the MNOs. German/Swiss Red Cross have the portable quick set up tech as well.

In reality they probably have a greater need for portable espresso machines. Then they can think straight about the other stuff (not being rude, the espresso machine is a vital technology component, honest).

[m0th3r]

This in a country with the strictest law on public WiFi usage

In Italy, public WiFi operators need to identify each user with full details, meaning you can't just "get the password from the bartender". Many do, but strictly speaking, they are breaking the law. Anyone with an open WiFi network is basically breaking the law...