[ARRL-OK] RE: [OCAPA] Senate Looks at Benefits of Satellite Phones in DisasterZones

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

Somebody ought to tell these dimwit senators and FCC
dipsticks that the amount of channels available on satellite
phones is next to nothing compared to cellular and can
NOT  be relied on for the massive amounts of comm
needed in a disaster.

We know from the 1995 Murrah bombing that cellular
companies have portable cellsites that can be set up
in a reasonable time frame.  Sure, it isn't immediate,
but the only emergency comm that is available almost
immediately is amateur radio.

This is just more posturing by intellectual midgets in
the hope that it will help them get reelected.

D C "Mac" Macdonald, K2GKK



----Original Message Follows----
From: ClayMayrose at aol.com
To: ocapa at mailman.qth.net, 
arrl-ok at mailman.qth.net,CentralOKARES at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [OCAPA] Senate Looks at Benefits of Satellite Phones in 
DisasterZones
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 03:03:21 EDT

 >From  Space.com

Senate Looks at Benefits of  Satellite Phones in Disaster Zones

By  Missy Frederick
Space News Staff Writer


WASHINGTON

The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications  Commission
(FCC) told lawmakers Sept. 22 that satellite technology has a
key  role to play in disaster relief efforts due to the vulnerability
of terrestrial communications infrastructure.

"If we learned anything from Hurricane Katrina, it is that we
cannot rely solely on terrestrial communications," Kevin Martin
told members of the Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee. "When radio towers are knocked
down, satellite communications are, in some instances, the
most  effective means of communicating."

Martin was one of several witnesses at a hearing called to
evaluate the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of communications
available to relief organizations in the aftermath of Katrina,
which knocked out terrestrial infrastructure in the coastal areas
of Louisiana and Mississippi. The damage  report included
telephone lines of almost 3 million customers knocked down,
38 emergency 9-1-1 call centers disabled, more than 25 million
calls failed and  hundreds of thousands of customers without
cable television, Martin said.  Through the chaos, however,
satellite telephones were effective, he said.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pushed Martin to elaborate on the
point that satellite networks, while often relatively expensive and
difficult to  establish, are more resilient than terrestrial systems.

"So we should consider satellite communications as a part of our
overall solution in response to disasters?" McCain asked.

"That's correct," Martin said.

If McCain was sold, so was Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.).  "I
certainly agree with Senator McCain about the value of satellite
phones and  their resilience," Sununu said.

But some lawmakers remain unconvinced of the reliability of
satellite communications.

"My personal experience with satellite phones was that it was
pretty spotty," said Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).

Martin said because of the potential problems with connectivity,
satellite technology is best suited as a back up to terrestrial
networks. The  ideal scenario is to have integrated networks
in which calls are automatically  rerouted to satellites when
terrestrial nodes are damaged, he said.

"I think that might be a more effective way to ensure everyone
still has coverage," Martin said.

U.S. cellular phone service provider Cingular Wireless has a
satellite-based network augmentation system under development
and tested it out during Katrina.  Paul Roth, executive vice president
for external affairs and public relations at Atlanta-based Cingular,
referred to the system as the  company's "worst-case scenario"
communications solution.

Cingular's Project Pegasus entails using a truck-mounted satellite
dish, antennas and other equipment to allow Cingular phones to
operate in areas where the local cellular towers have been knocked
out of operation,  Roth said during the hearing.  Two prototypes
were delivered to New Orleans for use during the storm's aftermath,
and another was being shipped to San Antonio, Texas, in anticipation
of Hurricane Rita, he said.

"Pegasus should be deployed in an emergency in key locations
throughout the U.S.," Roth said.

Some senators questioned whether non-terrestrial forms of
communications are appropriately equipped to dial 9-1-1 during
disasters.  But Sununu said this might not be the highest priority
for satellite phones.

"We want to make sure we're encouraging innovation and new ideas
rather than just saying everyone needs to participate in the system
as it is,"  Sununu said.

The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a second hearing
on communications for first responders for Sept.  29.