Interesting posting from science-fiction author David Brin. Thanks to Scott Carpenter for alerting us.

Excerpt:

“…. almost no attention has been paid to improving the reliability and utility of our cell networks, to assist citizen action during times of emergency. To the best of my knowledge. no high level demand has gonenout – from FEMA or any other agency — for industry to address
cell-system problems revealed in the devastation of America ‘s Gulf Coast. A correction that should be both simple/cheap and useful to implement.

“What do we need? We need ways for citizens to self-organize, both in normal life and (especially) during crises, when normal channels may collapse, or else get taken over by the authorities for their own use. All this might require is a slight change — or set of additions — in
the programming of the sophisticated little radio communications devices that we all carry in our pockets, nowadays.

“How about a simple back-up mode for text messaging? One that could use packet-switching to bypass the cell towers when they are down, and pass messages from phone to phone — or peer-to-peer — at least among phonesthat are of the same type? (GSM, TDMA, CDMA etc.) All of the neededpacket-switching algorithms already exist. Moreover, this would allow a
drowning city (or other catastrophe zone) to fill with tens of thousandsof little spots of light, supplying information to helpers andreassurance to loved ones, anywhere in the world.”