Syria in the Dark

Today it was announced that all Syria was cut off from the internet, and parts of the cellular telephone networks were shut down as well.

This is an example of a "politically induced disaster" as compared to the more familiar "naturally induced disasters", such as those resulting from bushfire or earthquake.

Whatever anyone may think of either the Syrian government or the rebel forces, what is clear is that an entire country suffers and is made more vulnerable by this kind of act.

It is thus suffering and vulnerability --- whatever the cause --- that the Serval Project seeks to alleviate.

And so when we hear news like this, the response in the lab is "code more", so that we can start delivering resilient communications solutions as soon as possible.

US Carriers Continue to Seek to Avoid Emergency Preparedness (and all Other) Regulation

In the aftermath of "Super Storm Sandy", questions are being asked in the USA about carriers, their preparedness for handling emergencies and disasters, and in a subtle way, whether the carriers are willing to incur the cost of such preparations, or whether they should be free to put profit ahead of the safety of the people, and avoid as much regulation as possible.

See, for example:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-15/why-cell-phones-went-dead-after-hurricane-sandy.html

Meanwhile, the people on the ground remain vulnerable to the whims of carriers, when they most need communications.  This is one of the many reasons why we continue work on the Serval Project, so that we can re-empower people to solve their own communications needs.