The Jeff Pulver Blog: Katrina and the Waves: Internet Delivers in Time of Emergency ... Again

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August 30, 2005

Katrina and the Waves: Internet Delivers in Time of Emergency ... Again

It seems that once again, in times of "real" emergency, the Internet was there to provide emergency communications when traditional voice services were not. According to a story filed yesterday afternoon by Anick Jesdanun of the Associated Press, "Cell phone service was spotty and long-distance callers met busy signals on Monday as Hurricane Katrina knocked out key telecommunications hubs along the Gulf Coast."

A key line in the story was "...Internet data networks were operating fine."

email and IM were used by many people yesterday to keep track of loved ones and as a mean to communicate with those in the effected areas in the path of Katrina. News outlets used IP based video, together with blogging and directly broadcasting their content on the Internet to keep their viewers (and their viewers' relatives) informed with the latest information about Katrina.

I think it is time to recognize and thank the Internet Community for its continued contributions in times of emergency and the reality that IP-based Communication services can and will provide a dependable channel for communications at times when other communication channels are just not available.

Wouldn't it have been absurd if public policy precluded PDAs and other computers with downloaded voice applications from offering users anything other than the cookie-cutter E-911 capability of traditional telephony?

Our public policy should be one that encourages continued innovation in the IP Communications space.

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Posted by jeff on August 30, 2005 11:00 AM | Permalink

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Comments

Posted by: Rick at August 30, 2005 01:19 PM