Disaster Relief WiFi

It is impossible to imagine disaster relief in the 21st century that does not involve the implementation of mobile wireless communications. When a force of nature like a Category 5 hurricane strikes a community, the local power grid is often crippled, if not destroyed. This happened in Puerto Rico last year, and its populace still lacks some basic utilities. All Americans are, unfortunately, acutely aware of catastrophes that require large-scale emergency responses.

Person Finder And Safety Check

But encouragingly, the worst situations seem to have brought out the best from our national reserves of innovation and ingenuity. One such example is Google’s Person Finder, which helps people reconnect after disasters. Google launched Person Finder in response to the earthquake that shook Haiti in 2010, an event which disrupted all public telephone communications, knocked out two of the nation’s largest cellular network carriers, and displaced almost a million Haitians. The Person Finder software allowed individuals affected by the crisis to get in touch with friends and family, and the Crisis Map application helped those affected locate necessities like food and shelter in their local areas.

Similar in purpose is Facebook’s Safety Check feature which prompts users in areas impacted by a crisis to indicate whether or not they are safe. Users can quickly let their entire social network know their safety status. With this feature, an individual can send one signal to Facebook, and the notice is reissued to hundreds or even thousands of separate users. But these ancillary services rely on existing infrastructure to provide internet connectivity, which is why our new technologies are so exciting.

Helpful Hotspots

Our hotspots are self-powered and mobile, operating without a working power or telecommunication grid, with their signal traveling farther than the type used in a home or private business. Victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, and forest fires can signal their location, communicate with relief organizations, and find safety from danger. Rescue workers can use the hotspots as command centers to contact each other quickly and allocate their resources most effectively. Our mobile hotspot units are functional upon deployment, issuing relief as effectively as the workers who command them.

If you represent a relief organization or you’re interested in providing WiFi to areas that need it most, please contact us at info@hookdwifi.com to learn more.