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Technology
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:
Wireless Technologies in Disaster Management
Essay Instructions:
The case for this module involves a tragedy and a potential silver lining. The devastation from disasters in Haiti and New Orleans needs no elaboration here; you all saw the pictures. What is interesting is a piece of the technological aftermath -- the use of wireless networks. Here stories describing the situation:
http://www(dot)internetevolution(dot)com/author.asp?section_id=526&doc_id=187568
http://www(dot)smartbridges(dot)com/company/news-and-updates/59-press-release-sb-and-itu-for-haiti
http://www(dot)cisco(dot)com/web/about/doing_business/business_continuity/Paper_124_MSW_USltr_format.pdf
http://www(dot)ibm(dot)com/ibm100/us/en/icons/relief/
http://www(dot)cs(dot)tamu(dot)edu/academics/tr/2011-9-2
Frank Hayes. Big Easy Wi-Fi. COMPUTERWORLD DECEMBER 05, 2005 (This is a seminal source that is extremely relevant today) http://www(dot)computerworld(dot)com/governmenttopics/government/itgovernment/story/0,10801,106743,00.html?SKC=networking-106743
Nguyen, A. (2011). London undergroun to roll out Wi-Fi at 120 tube stations. ComputerWorld. http://www(dot)computerworld(dot)com/s/article/9215337/London_Underground_to_roll_out_Wi_Fi_at_120_tube_stations
Modular Learning Objectives
Marguerite Reardon. New Orleans to offer free Wi-Fi. ZDNet News: May 15, 2010
And here is a thread from Slashdot, the tabloid web site for the high-tech community, debating some aspects of this situation
New Orleans to Deploy Free Wi-Fi City Wide. Slashdot. http://hardware(dot)slashdot(dot)org/article.pl?sid=05/11/29/1833202&from=rss
and USAToday
http://www(dot)usatoday(dot)com/tech/products/services/2006-03-28-new-orleans-wifi_x.htm
The background information contains a large number of references to deployment of wireless technologies and to their availability in a wide variety of settings, both corporate and urban. You are strongly encouraged also to do further research using search tools in this area, since this is a breaking story, and by the time you get around to doing this module, odds are that the situation will have changed again; you don't want to look silly by presenting information that is now been rendered obsolete by breaking events. The underlying issues of course remain salient. (Note: Katrina and the Haiti earthquakes are no longer "breaking stories")
When you have reviewed these materials and done your own research (please be sure to use appropriate citations for any material that you collect on their own), please write a short (5-7 page) paper addressing the question:
Deploying a WiFi hook-ups in disaster relief - what are the considerations?
In preparing your answer, you might want to consider the following questions:
How complicated is it to deploy this technology?
Who will pay the costs and who will obtain the benefits?
Where is this technology going in the long run?
When your paper is done, send it in to CourseNet.
Case Assignment Expectations: Use information from the Module's background readings as well as any good quality resources that you can find. Please cite all sources and provide a reference list at the end of your paper.
LENGTH: 5-7 pages typed and double-spaced
The following items will be assessed in particular:
Your ability to apply your understanding as related to deployment of wireless technology
Some in-text references to modular background readings (APA formatting not required)
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Essay Sample Content Preview:
Wireless Technologies in Disaster Management
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(November 07, 2012)
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Wireless Technologies in Disaster Management
Wireless technologies and telecommunications identifies with the information transfer among a number of points that are physically not connected. Wireless technologies cover short distances as well as large distances. An example of short distance wireless connections identifies with the remote control of an television set among other models, and long distance wireless connections is characterized with the World Wide Web (WWW). Internet in the past decades has been taking new shapes; internet is characterized with the computer networks constituting diverse internet sites in hypertext transfer protocol. Research shows that wireless technologies are essential in the management of disasters (Coppola, 2011).
Findings indicate that disasters can emanate from a number of sources identifying with terrorist attacks, severe flooding and extreme weathers. Surveys tabulated in the International Journal of Emergency Management assert that the remedy to managing these disasters heavily relies on the wireless networks. There are natural disasters and manmade disasters.
The natural disasters are related to fire, earth, air and water; classified under metrological disasters, geological disasters, hydrological disasters and fire disasters which are at times interrelated. The common disasters identifies with earthquakes, avalanches, landslides, volcanic eruptions, blizzards, electrical storms, droughts, heat waves, hail storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Other national disasters identifies with wildfires, bush fires, forest fires, building fires, tsunamis and floods (Coppola, 2011).
There are various types of connectivity identifying with deep space radio, cellular telephones, wireless networking, personal digital assistants (PDAs), GPS units, wireless computer mice, garage door openers, headsets, keyboards, radio receivers, headphones and satellite television among others. Wireless technologies are taking shape with the technological advancements.
A recent survey shows that people affected by Hurricane Sanday resolved to Facebook, Twitter and Google plus among other social networking sites to communicate with friends and rescue authorities. It has been noted that Hurricane Sanday is an Atlantic cyclone that happened at a late season. The storm killed people and devastated millions of people. The cyclone was characterized with damages, extended and widespread power outages and flooding in the inland and coastal areas. A number of weather researchers have referred to the Hurricane Sanday as Frankenstorm due to the combinations of the winter storm and tropical storm.
Emerging technologies has been essential in the management of Hurricane Sanday; the main challenge experienced resonated with the crippled wireless devices amidst lack of power supply. A number of people were not able to communicate with their kin and kith. Survey indicates that blackout presented the dark side of the crisis although a significant number of people managed communicating with their friends, family members and the rescue teams.
A survey done in Haiti after a strong earthquake (7.0 magnitudes) indicated that wireless internet saved a significant number of lives (Reiter, 2012). Wireless data assisted aid relief workers and the residences of Haiti in January 2012, a fact that proved that wireless internet is a technology identifying with is a life saving inventions. The fact that the strong earthquake destroyed the infrastructure supporting the wireless technology, the nation resolved to satellite communications in saving the lives of people trapped by the aftermath of the earthquake (Reiter, 2012).
NetHope has been useful in solving crisis after calamities. NetHope is supported by twenty nine organizations, NetHope applies the recent technology in addressing the humanitarian needs before and after a disaster strikes with the enhancement of the Compact INMARSAT-based kits for Internet access and VoIP services. Research has shown that Skype played a critical role in connecting the devastated residents in Haiti and the relief workers (Reiter, 2012). The company offered free landline calls in Haiti to the rest of the world through the VoIP.
Inveneo is a nonprofit making organization that assisted Haiti with satellite based Wi-Fi Network spanning long distances, the company set up a central base at Port-au-Prince for the aid assistances. Forty two boxes of aid equipments were used in the rescue mission. Inveneo with conjunction of Google Earth played a critical role in locating devastated people. It has been noted that OpenStreetMaps assisted in translating satellite images to understandable maps (Reiter, 2012).
Relief workers in Haiti used solar powered cellul...
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