Sarah Gannon
I assume Gannon is already in the air, as the network needs to be operating within 24 hours, but according to news reports, the runway in Yogyakarta is damaged and the airport closed. The Wi-Fi system will be airdropped. It weighs 70 kilos (155 pounds), most of that weight, Gannon explained, is the uninterruptible power supply.
Gannon said that the immediate need on the ground is for wireless communications and coordination. The target is to get that running within 24 hours. A satellite connection to the Internet is next, but that can take several weeks. The first deployment of WIDER was a prototype sent to Banda Aceh to help NGOs, the UN and relief agencies communicate. "We brought the prototype project there to see what we could do," said Gannon.
What's Happening in Yogyakarta?
While reports from Yogyakarta and Bantul -- a nearby city that suffered high casualties -- trickle in, disaster relief is mobilizing. The first order of business for WIDER -- said Gannon of her previous experience in Banda Aceh and Pakistan -- is basic communication. Telécoms Sans Frontières will arrive with satellite phones. OCHA (The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) will provide food and shelter for the WIDER team, and within 24 hours, wireless telecommunication networks must be up and running, plug-and-play, ready to help manage the relief activities.
"Where are you going to look for people? Resources will begin coming in from all over the world -- food, shelter, logistics -- where will it be distributed, what are the priorities?" At first, on the ground, said Gannon, relief agencies will use paper and face-to-face meetings, which are very time-consuming.
Once the network is up, said Gannon, "Agencies have wireless connectivity, Web servers, file servers, and all the tools like VoIP and instant messaging to the local area." Then situation reports are wirelessly uploaded to shared files for immediate inspection, online meetings and quick decisions. "We're testing WiMAX for more distance," said Gannon, "to connect, for example, the airport with relief headquarters. What's coming in? What's going out? You need to get the right people and material to the right place as quickly as possible. Wi-Fi is OK but you need a line of sight. You don't need that with WiMAX." Another feature being tested, she said, is "GSM in a box."
In between deployments, said Gannon, she volunteers her free time to the project, and works her regular job at Ericsson. During a deployment "I have an agreement to pay my salary for one month -- so off you go." The arrangement is a wonderful opportunity, she explained, and gives her valuable experience on the ground.
The network is designed around open systems and off-the-shelf equipment, said Gannon. Applications have a basic template for the Web, VoIP and instant messaging. "We're open so anyone can replicate it," she said, "and since no real intellectual property is involved, it is possible that cooperative agreements can be made with other companies."
WIDER has a tentative framework agreement with OCHA that will run for five years and six deployments per year. "Hopefully we won't need that many," she said.
