The discussions over the past couple days here have been surprising to me. If we don't know the value of wireless, who does? I can imagine wireless networks in the area helping with local and global communications, logisitics, tele-medicine, news and alerts, and the million other uses for computer-to-computer connections.
I don't have all the answers. And since I don't have unlimited funds or a high traffic web page to collect 8 million dollars in 5 days I chose to help in the way I can. I do know wireless, and I'm not a bad manager of resources. While we sit here in sunny Los Angeles, it is hard to know exactly what people might need over the thousands of square miles of damaged areas. If they do need wireless, why not let them know that someone can help. Just in case. Afterall, the only people in the damaged area who really know what they need, are the people in the damaged area. The people have spoken. THEY WANT OUR HELP. So, after less than 72 hours since making the announcement "Post-Tsunami Reconnect: Disaster Relief with Wireless" this is a sample of what people have asked from us: " informed me about your intentions, which might be very interesting for our Sri Lankan friend in Unawatuna, whose IT Cafe got washed away by the tsunami wave. He is a very couragous young man, who had saved lives and who is the most competent IT man in Unawatuna, a village on the coast near heavily destroyed Galle on the South Coast. we are trying to raise funds in order to rebuild and improve his IT facilities, which could be used by the soon arriving and badly required aid workers. we are currently looking at any interesting suggestion that could help to improve facilities in the region, in particular in conjunction with wireless solutions. Perhaps you will find it interesting to support the people of world village Unawatuna. " " I am currently living in Colombo, Sri Lanka and have just read your blog on thewirelessweblog from december 29 Some current efforts to identify and help people who are stranded in camps are based on privately manned call centers in Colombo that are working with the the mobile phone network providers to locate incoming call locations through triangulation - about 2500 were located by last night from a list of 10000 roaming numbers some other efforts are trying to coordinate the closest resources to provide relief, by contacting local people by mobile phone (a few base stations were provided generators) through government provided lists, and recording their impressions about what is available and needed.. if perhaps a person was sent to each camp or location with equipment that made it possible for communication to be continuous and at high levels - between the camps and central agencies in a peer-to-peer basis - so that they could take all people-contact enquiries as well as make requests for help and provide relief from a local perspective.. " " A bunch of friend from Jakarta will be leaving to go to Nias & Banyak Island on the western part of Sumatera, (East Southeast of the Quake epicenter) one of the area that was devastated (closest small Island from the epicenter). >From what I gather Nias is mostly forgotten, most of the rescue & recovery effort are concentrated in Sumatera mainland. They have people in the field but there is no communication in or out of the area. (mostly Cell phone with most network down) if you have any equipment that can help them, they will appreciate it. "
