With the huge influx of disaster relief workers into the greater Oklahoma City & Moore area the need for communications has drastically increased. While we are helping by providing Internet access via WiFi in several locations local residents and business who have fixed broadband access can also contribute by sharing access through a WiFi access point. While most of them already have a WiFi router they might not want to change the configuration of this device.
To enable these people to still safely share their broadband we are able to supply WiFi access points specifically designed for sharing access publically. These wifi AP’s have been kindly donated by FON. The FON Access Point allows you to share access to your broadband while still protecting your own network and network devices. Read here how it works.

We can install and configure this device for you and as a token of our appreciation the AP will be yours to keep.

Interested? Please email us for more details.

Moore, Oklahoma Wireless Signal Assessment

Version 1

May 25^th 2013-05-25

Evert Bopp

Disaster Tech Lab

www.disastertechlab.org

Following our experiences during our deployment after Superstorm Sandy we learned that a wireless signal assessment done early in a deployment is of considerable value in assessing the availability of communication services in a disaster area. The results of such a survey will both show communication service black-spots as well as white spots where no temporary or permanent new infra-structure is needed. Gathering, visualising and sharing this data helps to determine what telecoms services & data services are available and where gaps in service need to be filled. Based on all this we started carrying out a wireless signal survey in the area of Moore affected by the tornado.  We used the latest Google CrisisMap (http://bit.ly/17VVnMO) as an indication of the path taken by the tornado and covered as much of that area as was possible by vehicle.

Tools:

• An  Android tablet running G-Mon (http://bit.ly/R6syTU)
• An iPad running Wi-where (http://www.threejacks.com/?q=node/13)
• Two smartphones one with an AT&T subscription and the other with a Verizon dataplans.

Methodology:

The vehicle followed the street grid criss-crossing the path of the tornado as much as possible. At this time the Android tablet as well as the iPad polled for WiFi networks at short intervals. At the same time the signal strength on both phones was visually monitored. We had hoped to automatically monitor the cellular network using a an app which is under development by OpenSignal but the app is still in a very early alpha stage and wasn’t yet stable enough to produce accurate results. At the end of the survey the results from the Android & iPhone apps were both exported to *.KML files for import into Google Earth. We had planned to use Google Maps but the number of WiFi networks detected exceeded the maximum import level for Google Maps so we had to switch to Google Earth instead. We are currently in contact with the Google Maps team to see if this issue can be resolved.

Results:

The total number of WiFi networks detected was 932. Only 11% of these networks were “open” and hence available for public use. The remainder was using mostly WPA encryption but surprisingly 5.5% still used WEP encryption. In addition of the total number of 923 at least 10% were mobile 3g/4G to WiFi devices (Jetpacks, MiFi’s etc). These were most likely used by disaster response teams deployed to the area.

The cellular coverage survey gave a surprising result with nearly 100% coverage on both AT&T and Verizon 3G & 4G networks across the area surveyed. This can be due to the fact that certain celltowers & base-stations covering the affected area might have been located outside the direct path of the tornado. In addition the various cellular companies response to the damage caused was substantially faster than after Sandy (for comparison).

Google Maps image of the route surveyed.

Google Earth screengrab displaying all detected WiFi networks.

Conclusion:

The results of this survey indicate several two points; firstly there is a plethora of wifi networks active in the area. While a lot of these where pre-existing to the tornado there are a significant amount of temporary networks which are part of the disaster response.  Based on this it shows that correct channel management is an important issue when using WiFi as part of disaster response communications in a “first world country”. Secondly the survey shows that within 3-4 days of the tornado passing through Moore nearly full 3G/4G & LTE coverage is restored. This means that with the right equipment a lot of the temporary networks can be routed over the cellular data networks rather than using VSAT which is significantly more expensive. It also indicates that at this stage it would be wise to reach out to the cellular providers to determine whether these would be willing to donate 3G/4G/LTE to WiFi routers and temporary dataplans. Based on the outcome of that the installation of VSAT terminals should cease and existing VSAT terminals should, where possible, be replace by the above devices.

Notes:

• The KML file for the WiFi survey can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/15gbr014ckk2sv5/WiFi-Where%20Export_20130525114649.kml
• An XLS file containing all survey data can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fchj9174g6yuhd5/WiFi%20survey%20Export_20130525114649.xls

However I do want to discuss a practical example on how far and wide such a message can be disseminated. Shortly after the bombs had exploded during the Boston marathon we sent out the following message via Twitter:

“If you live or run a business in #Boston near bombsite (please) open your wifi for people to use. Communications are important!”

This message was retweeted 17 times but the dissemination didn’t stop there.  By doing a bit of online research we found out that this tweet had been picked up by a number of news channels who included the text and quite often a screengrab in their liveblogs. Following that it was picked up by other smaller news-sites and a number of private blogs. By Google-ing the actually body of the tweet we found out that it was quoted in 183 websites including  Wikileaks, CNN & Channel 4.

So there you go, real life proof that one single tweet can have an enormous reach & impact. Please consider that before you hit the Tweet or Submit button next time.

Disaster Tech Lab had a stand at the recent Digital Dublin Day in the Mansion House. While we don’t really operate in this area it was interesting from the point of view that even large first world cities can be hit by disasters knocking out the existing infra-structure. Our recent work in NYC post Sandy showed how something like this could cause long term disruption in an area only 45 minutes from down-town Manhattan.

We had some good chats with some of the other companies exhibiting and there might be some interesting spinoffs out of  that. We also had our picture taken with the Lord Mayor of  Dublin (see above).

Funny detail: Gowex, who are building the new Dublin public WiFi network were exhibiting also. They had a live node across the street which was supposed to supply the venue with WiFi access. However every time that bus or large vehicle passed by the WiFi dropped. We quickly powered up some of our equipment and set up an open WiFi AP  backhauled over a local 3G network. Not only was it more stable than the other public WiFi it was also faster.

On February 5th the Disaster Tech Lab founders (@TheEvertBopp & @Mrs_Bopp) travelled from Ireland to Washington DC to attend a Think-event in the Eisenhower Executive building (part of the White House campus) organised by the FEMA Innovation Team. Disaster Tech Lab was asked to join the FEMA Innovation Team during the response to Superstorm Sandy and this eventually resulted in am invitation to this event. Also present would be the founders of Humanity Road and Information Technology Disaster Resource Center two organisations with whom we had worked closely during the post-Sandy response.

The Think-tank event had a good mix of people present, there were representatives from organisations like ourselves, FEMA senior staff members, other state agencies, academia etc. The thing missing were representatives from those communities affected by Sandy. The event was opened by Janet Napolitano, Rich Serino and  Richard Reed (Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security). First point on the agenda was a national conference call open to the public. An operator moderated the questions and people present in the room would answer them. A wide range of relevant issues were addressed. There’s a (low-quality) video on youtube of this. Full audio and a transcript are available on this website.

Kate Bopp, Cat Graham & Evert Bopp

Next was a round table discussion dealing with as agenda points Communications. Analytics, SMEM (Social Media Emergency Management), Creativity and more. There was some frank exchange of opinions and points of view.  Ideas were tabled and discussed on issues such as wireless communications in disaster hit areas (our speciality), the next generation of FEMA DRC’s, how to better meet citizen needs and how to bridge the gap between the formal organisations such as FEMA and the informal disaster response organisations which are increasing rapidly and which have shown a greatly agility in responding.

One point that became obvious during the day is that FEMA currently is only aware of work and organisations in its direct periphery. Anything which is happening outside that circle (and there is a lot happening outside it) hasn’t blipped on the FEMA radar. This has led to a slightly skewed view of what is happening and most of all of what needs to happen to improve disaster response work in the future. However it was great to see that the mix of people and organisations from different backgrounds and with different agendas present at this event made for lively discussion and has opened a door to different forms of future cooperation. FEMA has made a major step forward by opening the door to “outsider input” and I applaud them for it. Progressing down this road will lead to an improvement in what really is the focus of disaster response; helping those in need.

2013 is set to become a very exciting year for Disaster Tech Lab. Only 6 months after it was started as a subsidiary of Haiti Connect it has grown so rapidly that as of a few days ago “Disaster Tech Lab” has become the main organisation. At the end of last year we had a very succesful deployment in NYC following superstorm Sandy. We assisted the various NGOs, “informal volunteer organisations” and government aid agencies in their work providing IP based networking services were needed. During this deployment we strengthened bonds with existing partner organisations and forged new ones with organisations we hadn’t worked with before. The deployment also served as proof that as an organisation our approach was working and our services are needed. Disaster Communication service provide the bonds which allows the numerous aid organisations to work together better. This deployment seems to have caused our development to switch to a higher gear and 2013 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year. Some of the things lined up for the next few months are:

• Following out of our work in NYC we have been invited to join the FEMA Innovation Team. Fema’s innovation team is a new informal working group made up out of members of Fema and private sector organisations and individuals working the disaster response field. It serves as a think-tank allowing the sharing of ideas and experiences with as goal to improve future disaster response efforts.
• We’ve also been invited to participate in a Fema think-tank session at the White House in early February.
• We’ve also been “encouraged” to participate in the JIFX/RELIEF event in Camp Roberts California from February 11th – 14th.
• We also plan to release the first version of our disaster -data & comms web portal late in Q1 2013. This has been in development for the last 6 months and is nearing completion.
• Also in the pipeline is a full overhaul of our web & social media presence incorporating a new website and more streamlined interaction through the various social media channels.
• 501(c)3 status: we are also working towards achieving 501(c)3 status in the USA. This will make it much easier for us to operate in the USA and will make it more attractive for donors to support us.

As you can imagine this is a significant step forward for us and will require a lot of behind the scenes work. We will need to increase our fund-raising as well as organise a new volunteer recruitment campaign. Without support from individuals, organisations and companies we would not be able to carry out our work. If you are interested in supporting us you can do so here.

Since then Disaster Tech Lab has rapidly grown, it has been behind a number of Crisiscamp events in Ireland, has provided on-the-ground support to the post hurricane Sandy disaster relief work in NYC. Following this first deployment of Disaster Tech Lab we have also been asked to join the (voluntary) FEMA Innovation Team.

Because of this growth and to avoid confusion the Haiti Connect board of trustees has passed the resolution allowing a transition from Haiti Connect to Disaster Tech Lab as the name of our organisation.  The date of this transition will be January 1st 2013. From that day onward all activities will be under the name “Disaster Tech Lab”, all updates and information will be posted on the Disaster Tech Lab website and all email will come from an Disaster Tech Lab email address.

This does not diminish our commitment in Haiti but it merely serves to avoid the confusion that we only work in Haiti. The Haiti Connect website will stay online so that all information therein will still be available.

The Haiti Connect Board of Trustees.

SUPERSTORM SANDY WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS ASSESMENT

December 23^rd 2012

Evert Bopp

Haiti Connect / Disaster Tech Lab

www.haiti-connect.org

www.disastertechlab.org

In the aftermath of any disaster occurring communications provide a vital component of the disaster response effort and the same was the case after superstorm Sandy hit the US east coast on October 29^th 2012. For Haiti Connect it initiated our first deployment in the USA and as communications is our area of expertise we decided to carry out a (limited) assessment of the impact on the existing telecommunications services as well as provide recommendations to improve future disaster response efforts. As most of our work concentrated on the Rockaways area the majority of data will apply to that area but logic dictates that the impact and recommendations apply to most other areas also. The assessment will concentrate on the technical areas and does not include the economical or financial impact.

Initial impact:

The combination of high winds and localised flooding caused extensive damage to above ground and subterranean telecoms infra-structure:

“FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says Sandy has affected 25% of all cellular phone service, from major cell providers, in more than 150 East Coast counties”

In the seafront regions of NYC, such as Staten Island, Rockaways, Lower Manhattan etc. communications were knocked out completely. Towers and mast were damaged and underground ducting was flooded or completely washed out. The same went for cable services infra-structure which was largely run in underground ducts. Combined with widespread and long-lasting power outages this has caused a widespread complete blackout of communication services.

Initial response:

Most disaster response organisations bring in their own internal communications systems mostly consisting of short-wave radios. However these have limited use and range. In addition to this restoring communication services to the civilian population in disaster hit areas has become an urgent need. A substantial amount of data assessment is best done by feedback or data from the local population and an absence of communication services increases the need for labour intensive door-to-door surveys. Better communication service not only improves the effectiveness of disaster response services it also decreases the load on the available resources.

As recovering and rebuilding telecoms cabling infra-structure is costly and takes a substantial amount of time the two types of services that are the most suitable for use in disaster response situations are cellular and WiFi based.

Our initial response in the days following October 29^th was to map telecoms outages as well as available services. The initial goal was to map cellular services, landline and public wifi. However as the telcos are reluctant to share real-time data on outages I was depending on crowdsourcing this data which only provided limited results for landline & cellular services. However we had more success with wifi services. We contacted a number of WiFi hotspot providers and had a lot of luck with Boingo (one of the largest wifi hotspot aggregators). They assigned someone in their NOC to geo-locate all traffic and report to us with live hotspots in the NYC area every 6 hours. These were then imported into the map. We also downloaded and converted the list of wifi hotspots from the NYC OpenData website and included this in the map as a separate layer but as we could not verify uptime this wasn’t much use in the end. The resulting map can be found online: https://sandycommsmap.crowdmap.com/

During this period we also assessed the response by the cellular & cable providers. There was a fast response from most but the lack of coordination between them caused a lot of problems. Most cellular providers deployed COW (Cellular On Wheels) service which is basically a truck mounted cellular base-station with its own power supply and mast. However the placement of these was very uncoordinated and as there is only a limited amount of radio spectrum available for cellular communications this caused cross-network and cross channel interference to the point where even the temporary services became unavailable or un-usable.

WiFi services were also rolled out by us in the Rockaways area from November 5ht onwards. This was followed by a few other organisations providing the same on an incidental basis. At that point all wifi networks were being backhauled over satellite and the Sandy response saw an increase of Ka-Band VSAT terminals while previously Ku-band had been the standard. Ka-Band is significantly faster offering higher download and upload speeds but is more susceptible to bad weather conditions (rain especially). On top of these services VoIP services were deployed in a number of locations.

Following the initial response cellular services started to slowly come back online and in the period between December 9^th – 16^th we carried out a number of signal test surveys in the Rockaways to ascertain the level of available services.

• We carried out a foot survey of the area between Beach 129^th Street and Beach 94^th Street using an Android device running G-mon. This app measures WiFi networks and stores the data together with GPS coordinates. This test resulted in the detection of 142 wifi networks. The majority of these were encrypted but we polled those that weren’t and all of the ones polled had internet access. We also noticed that all wifi networks polled were backhauled over the cellular network with acceptable speeds (1-3 Mbps).

• In the same area between Beach 129^th Street and Beach 94^th Street we surveyed for cellular reception and the whole area had an acceptable level of 2G/EDGE/3G coverage.
• We also drove the area between Beach 129^th Street and Breezy Point FD to survey for LTE coverage. For this we used an iPhone with a Verizon subscription and an iPad with an AT&T subscription. The results showed that there was nearly 99.9% LTE cover in this area.

• While surveying we also came across a Verizon crew installing FIOS service in the Roxbury FD building. Apparently this is being backhauled via a wireless link across the bay.

Conclusions:

At this time wireless services have been restored to acceptable levels to support the relief and rebuilding efforts. While most of the residents might not have a 4G or LTE subscription the establishment of public internet locations in warming tents or command centres should meet their short term need until terrestrial services are restored.  In addition the restoration of FIOS, which is really a wired services, using wireless backhaul will increase connectivity in essential locations.

Recommendations:

While the current level of service restoration is of an acceptable level there are a lot of opportunities for improvement in the immediate response period (1-2 weeks). Currently there is no acceptable level of coordination between the different telcos, between the telcos and the local government and between the telcos, the disaster response organisations and the local government.  In short chaos is king in the current situation. There seemed to be no single points of contacts within the carriers that the various response organisations could contact to request service updates, report outages or coordinate communications response efforts. My recommendation is that relationships are established (or expanded) with the carriers, Fema, NCC, FCC and NGO’s operating in this field. If these relationships are pre-established and a level of trust is built then telcos will quite likely overcome their current reluctance to share data on outages.

Single points of contact will also speed up communication so that situational awareness during disaster response will significantly improve. Current efforts are very much on an ad-hoc basis or done by individuals within their trusted circle without sharing data with other organisations.

I have started a discussion within the Fema Innovation team about the formation of an “operational and intelligence support team” and it’s my opinion that the above would fit perfectly in the remit of such a team.

The full report can be downloaded here and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence.

While we were working there a request was relayed to us via ITDRC who had provided the satellite backhaul at the De La Sales location. They had installed a Viasat satellite backhaul at one of three firehouses in Breezy Point. The firehouses were being used as local coordination points, food distribution location and more. The hurricane and subsequent flooding had washed out all utilities and they had no communications in place. The request was if we could build Point-2-Point links connecting the three firehouses so that they could share the satellite backhaul. The below map shows you where the three locations are.

As there were no high rise buildings in the area the line-of-sight between the locations was relatively good. Although between the central and most Easterly of the three locations was a nature reserve with several clumps of trees which could possible cause a problem. We had received additional equipment from our equipment sponsor Aruba Networks and our engineers John & Clark set out to meet up with ITDRC people. After evaluating the location and carrying out the relevant link calculations Aruba MSR200o Outdoor Mesh Routers were installed on the locations. These formed the backbone of the network. To connect the various main firehouse and surrounding buildings a number of Aruba AP65 Access Points were installed. The whole network is managed using an Aruba Networks 200 controller.

While this was going on we also received a donation from FON of several boxes of their “Fonera Simpl” wifi home router. These are not as robust as the Aruba Networks equipment but are quick and easy units for anyone who has a wired connection and want to quickly create a wifi network to share this. We initially offered these to the people running the Red Hook wifi project in Brooklyn but were told that they did not need any additional hardware so we are now deploying these elsewhere.

We also added a dedicated page to our website outlining the ongoing response work as well as a page were people could lodge request for connectivity & wifi infra-structure and lastly a page of our current needs for this deployment so people could see how they can support us.

We are currently in a volunteer switchover as the first team of volunteers had to return to their (paid) day jobs. A new team is deploying at the moment and we are evaluating & monitoring the currently installed locations as well as asessing and prioritising request for further installs.

Just to illustrate to people how bad the situation on the ground still is below are some pictures taken around Breezy Point.

NOTE: As Disaster Tech Lab is a charitable trust we depend on volunteers and donors to enable us to carry out our work. If you want to support our work by donating you can do so safely online by clicking on the “DONATE” button at the top right of this page. Or want to join as  a volunteer then please contact us via email.