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Monday, September 6, 2004
An Independent Study on Offshoring IT? [Slashdot:]
comments < 11:30:27 AM 
>Verizon's southwest Florida cellular network remained 90% operational in wake of Hurricane Charley. The remaining 10% was brought back online over a few days time. A separate report indicated that wired phone service worked well; the most common reason for a suspected phone outage was the consumer was using an electricity powered cordless phone, rather than an older wired phone, and the cordless phone was not working. [Edward Mitchell: Common Sense Technology] comments < 11:29:57 AM
>The $6B Satellite [Daily Wireless] U.S. DoD seeking a new satellite communication systems providing for narrowband voice/data services to persons in the field. Would operate at 64 kbps per user. [Edward Mitchell: Common Sense Technology] comments < 11:29:12 AM
>Interesting, first hand reports, from Florida. Ooops ... not sure this was a good idea: "Because of the increasing risk from Hurricane Frances, Red Cross officials issued a 4-hour lockdown around 10:30 this morning, wrapping yellow police tape across exit doors. No one will be allowed to walk outside for any reason during the lockdown, even for a cigarette." Sometimes life is just really rough :-) "And 584,000 customers county-wide woke up without power and began the excruciating wait without air-conditioning, hot showers or hot meals for normalcy to return". Gosh, just like camping! But with a big mess to clean up! Hurricane Frances Communications Update From the comments in that linked site, it appears that communications have continued to work well. Many references to celphones, including " Missed most? Radar and Internet. This report filed via net connection on cell phone." BellSouth reports that less than 1% of their phone lines in the affected areas have gone out. Sprint, on the other hand, reports 14,000 phone lines out of service, and numerous cell sites no longer functioning. Verizon, Nextel and AT&T Wireless have not made a report yet. Cingular has not reported yet, either, but before the hurricane, they recommended that customers learn to use their text messaging feature. This is because the network capacity for text messages is vastly larger than the capacity for phone calls. Stop Press! This just in - 85% of Verizon Wireless cellsites remain functional. Verizon is rolling in twenty eight "Cells on Wheels" and "Cells on Light Trucks" and 200 generators. The company is also rolling in "Wireless Emergency Communications Centers" where residents and officials will be able to make phone calls. A lot of Hurricane Watch Net reports via ham radio. You can see some press coverage here. FEMA prepositioned a lot of assets, including communications, near Florida: "FEMA's Mobile Emergency Response Services (MERS) communications staff and equipment are available to provide telephone, radio and video links in support of response and recovery efforts. About 100 MERS personnel and about 75 vehicles [^] including Mobile Emergency Operations Center (MEOCs) equipped vehicles and Mobile Radio Vans (MRVs) to provide radio capability have been assigned to support Hurricane Frances response and recovery operations." To learn more about the MERS units, click here. Picture below are examples of the FEMA portable communications resources. They have a bunch of additional vehicles and other support capabilities.
(Photo: FEMA, Mobile Radio Vehicle)
 (Photo: FEMA, Mobile KU-Band (Satellite) Vehicle)  (Photo: FEMA, Line-of-Sight Microwave Vehicle)  (Photo: FEMA, Mobile HF Radio Vehicle)  The American Red Cross has dispatched all of its 8 Emergency Communication Response Vehicles (ECRV) from through out the nation, to the Florida storm relief effort. (Photo: Me, KF7VY, American Red Cross ECRV)
 Lastly, an update on an item I posted a couple of weeks ago, noting that AT&T's new GSM "upgrade" had significantly reduced geographic coverage of several western states. In fact, it appeared to be network downgrade. I just rechecked their GSM map and they have now substantially restored services in areas not previously served as part of their GSM network "upgrade". Its not quite identical to before the GSM upgrade, but they have now extended service over most of the areas I indicated were lacking coverage in the west. [Edward Mitchell: Common Sense Technology] comments < 11:28:39 AM
>Fact Checking. There has been a lot of news coverage (outside of the hurricane) this week concerning a 17% increase in Medicare premiums. The increase is said to be the largest single increase in the history of Medicare. The increase was mandated by an Act of Congress, passed in 2003. Mr. Kerry has blasted Bush for implementing the Medicare premium increase required by the Law. I did a little fact checking and found that Mr. Kerry was one of two Senators who did not bother to cast a vote regarding the Law that required the increase. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only one who bothered to check the background to this issue. [Edward Mitchell: Common Sense Technology] comments < 11:28:09 AM
>'Throw Me an Anchor,' Yells the Drowning Man. Kerry names John Sasso as senior advisor. Sasso, you'll recall, is the genius who ran the Michael Dukakis campaign in 1988. [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] comments < 11:26:43 AM
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