Old Technology Still Needed

Larry Magid: Ham Radios Integral To Katrina Rescue Efforts

(CBS) 
Also, there is a bit of a rift between some members of the amateur radio community and some parts of the Internet industry over the use of power lines to transmit Internet signals. This technology, which could put power companies into competition with cable and phone companies for broadband service, has been criticized by some ham operators because of possible interference problems.

Despite the fact that their origins go back to the early 20th century, hams are hardly low-tech. There are now bridges between ham operators and other technologies including the Internet, cellular phone systems and Internet phones. In fact, long before the Internet became popular, ham operators were using their radio gear to transmit data along with voice and morse code.

Also coming to the rescue are satellite phones. These phones – which are much more expensive to buy and use than cell phones – rely on satellites rather than ground equipment to communicate with the phone network.

Because satellites are in space, they’re not vulnerable to conditions here on earth. Also, as long as you have a view of the sky, you’re able to communicate. Iridium, which operates "66 low-earth orbiting (LEO), cross-linked satellites and 11 in-orbit spares," says it provides "complete coverage of the earth (including oceans, airways and Polar Regions)."

I carried an Iridium phone with me when I traveled to Peru a few years ago. It worked great when I was in the clear such as on a boat in the middle of the Amazon River but, because it requires a line of site view of the sky, it had problems in dense jungle and in cities with tall buildings.

Iridium spokesperson Liz DeCastro estimates that there are currently about 10,000 of Iridium's phones being used in the region with orders for about 6,000 more. The company sells through resellers so it doesn’t have exact numbers. DeCastro says that "traffic in the region increased by 3,000 percent" since the storm hit and that the number of subscribers increased by 500 percent.

Satellite phones are a lot cheaper to use then when I went to Peru, but they still cost between $1 and $1.25 per minute to use, according to DeCastro. That’s a lot more than domestic cell use, though often cheaper than using U.S. phones when roaming overseas. The phones themselves cost between $1,000 and $1,500 she says.

In addition to handling voice calls, satellite phones can also be used for messaging or data, albeit at modem rather than broadband speed.

If anything, Katrina has taught us the value of redundancy. The best way to make sure that messages get through is to have standby systems that can take over when others fail.

That’s why some news organizations keep manual typewriters around. You never know when that old technology may suddenly become the "appropriate technology."

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A syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."