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https://theconversation.com/cyclone-gabrielle-broke-vital-communication-links-when-people-needed-them-most-what-happened-and-how-do-we-fix-it-200711>
"Modern communication systems need two main things: power, and what engineers
call “backhaul”, the connections that link cell towers and exchanges to the
national network. When Cyclone Gabrielle struck, both were badly compromised.
Many sites lost power not long after the mains went down. They were only
designed to run on battery for a few hours (or days at most) – enough for
routine faults, not for disasters.
Much of the backhaul – usually fibre optic cables running along main roads,
often parallel to power lines – was also knocked out by landslips and flooding.
Because of this, even where cell sites still had power, they couldn’t connect
anyone to anywhere.
This disconnected large numbers of cell sites, including those run by the Rural
Connectivity Group (RCG) – the government appointed provider of broadband and
mobile services in sparsely populated areas.
New Zealand’s three big telecommunications operators (Spark, Vodafone and
2degrees) use the RCG service in rural regions, causing all three (along with
wireless internet) to lose coverage in affected areas.
Emergency services have also increasingly abandoned their own radio-based
communication networks for cheaper cell phones, which offer more privacy and
coverage. Imagine calling 111 after the cyclone – if you could – only to find
the emergency services themselves were incommunicado.
Furthermore, disaster responses by citizens and emergency services alike
require fuel for vehicles, as well as food and other supplies. But electronic
payment systems like eftpos and fuel cards need an internet connection.
Clearly it’s time to ask whether systems so vulnerable to single points of
failure are fit for purpose, given our exposure to natural disasters and
increasing risk from more severe and frequent climate change events."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
