{"id":24231,"date":"2021-05-09T05:35:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T05:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbsitsoftwaresolution.com\/blog\/when-the-earth-is-gone-at-least-the-internet-will-still-be-working.html"},"modified":"2021-05-09T05:35:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-09T05:35:58","slug":"when-the-earth-is-gone-at-least-the-internet-will-still-be-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/when-the-earth-is-gone-at-least-the-internet-will-still-be-working.html","title":{"rendered":"When the Earth is gone, at least the internet will still be working"},"content":{"rendered":"

The internet is now<\/span> our nervous system. We are constantly streaming and buying and watching and liking, our brains locked into the global information matrix as one universal and coruscating emanation of thought and emotion.<\/p>\n

What happens when the machine stops though?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a question that E.M. Forster was intensely focused on more than a century ago in a short story called, rightly enough, \u201cThe Machine Stops,\u201d about a human civilization connected entirely through machines that one day just turn off.<\/p>\n

Those fears of downtime are not just science fiction anymore. Outages aren\u2019t just missing a must-watch TikTok clip. Hospitals, law enforcement, the government, every corporation \u2014 the entire spectrum of human institutions that constitute civilization now deeply rely on connectivity to function.<\/p>\n

So when it comes to disaster response, the world has dramatically changed. In decades past, the singular focus could be roughly summarized as rescue and mitigation \u2014 save who you can while trying to limit the scale of destruction. Today though, the highest priority is by necessity internet access, not just for citizens, but increasingly for the on-the-ground first responders who need bandwidth to protect themselves, keep abreast of their mission objectives, and have real-time ground truth on where dangers lurk and where help is needed.<\/p>\n

While the sales cycles might be arduous as we learned in part one<\/a> and the data trickles have finally turned to streams<\/a> in part two, the reality is that none of that matters if there isn\u2019t connectivity to begin with. So in part three of this series on the future of technology and disaster response, we\u2019re going to analyze the changing nature of bandwidth and connectivity and how they intersect with emergencies, taking a look at how telcos are creating resilience in their networks while defending against climate change, how first responders are integrating connectivity into their operations, and finally, exploring how new technologies like 5G and satellite internet will affect these critical activities.<\/p>\n

Wireless resilience as the world burns<\/h2>\n

Climate change is inducing more intense weather patterns all around the world, creating second- and third-order effects for industries that rely on environmental stability for operations. Few industries have to be as dynamic to the changing context as telecom companies, whose wired and wireless infrastructure is regularly buffeted by severe storms. Resiliency of these networks isn\u2019t just needed for consumers \u2014 it\u2019s absolutely necessary for the very responders trying to mitigate disasters and get the network back up in the first place.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, no issue looms larger for telcos than access to power \u2014 no juice, no bars. So all three of America\u2019s major telcos \u2014 Verizon (which owns TechCrunch\u2019s parent company Verizon Media, although not for much longer<\/a>), ATT and T-Mobile \u2014 have had to dramatically scale up their resiliency efforts in recent years to compensate both for the demand for wireless and the growing damage wrought by weather.<\/p>\n

Jay Naillon, senior director of national technology service operations strategy at T-Mobile, said that the company has made resilience a key part of its network buildout in recent years, with investments in generators at cell towers that can be relied upon when the grid cannot. In \u201careas that have been hit by hurricanes or places that have fragile grids \u2026 that is where we have invested most of our fixed assets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Like all three telcos, T-Mobile pre-deploys equipment in anticipation for disruptions. So when a hurricane begins to swirl in the Atlantic Ocean, the company will strategically fly in portable generators and mobile cell towers in anticipation of potential outages. \u201cWe look at storm forecasts for the year,\u201d Naillon explained, and do \u201clots of preventative planning.\u201d They also work with emergency managers and \u201crun through various drills with them and respond and collaborate effectively with them\u201d to determine which parts of the network are most at risk for damage in an emergency. Last year, the company partnered with StormGeo<\/a> to accurately predict weather events.<\/p>\n

Predictive AI for disasters is also a critical need for ATT. Jason Porter, who leads public sector and the company\u2019s FirstNet first-responder network, said that ATT teamed up with Argonne National Laboratory to create a climate-change analysis tool to evaluate the siting of its cell towers and how they will weather the next 30 years of \u201cfloods, hurricanes, droughts and wildfires.\u201d \u201cWe redesigned our buildout \u2026 based on what our algorithms told us would come,\u201d he said, and the company has been elevating vulnerable cell towers four to eight feet high on \u201cstilts\u201d to improve their resiliency to at least some weather events. That \u201cgave ourselves some additional buffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

ATT has also had to manage the growing complexity of creating reliability with the chaos of a climate-change-induced world. In recent years, \u201cwe quickly realized that many of our deployments were due to weather-related events,\u201d and the company has been \u201cvery focused on expanding our generator coverage over the past few years,\u201d Porter said. It\u2019s also been very focused on building out its portable infrastructure. \u201cWe essentially deploy entire data centers on trucks so that we can stand up essentially a central office,\u201d he said, empathizing that the company\u2019s national disaster recovery team responded to thousands of events last year.<\/p>\n

Particularly on its FirstNet service, ATT has pioneered two new technologies to try to get bandwidth to disaster-hit regions faster. First, it has invested in drones to offer wireless services from the sky. After Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana last year with record-setting winds, our \u201ccell towers were twisted up like recycled aluminum cans \u2026 so we needed to deploy a sustainable solution,\u201d Porter described. So the company deployed what it dubs the FirstNet One<\/a> \u2014 a \u201cdirigible\u201d that \u201ccan cover twice the cell coverage range of a cell tower on a truck, and it can stay up for literally weeks, refuel in less than an hour and go back up \u2014 so long-term, sustainable coverage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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ATT\u2019s FirstNet One dirigible to offer internet access from the air for first responders. Image Credits:<\/strong> ATT\/FirstNet<\/p>\n

Secondly, the company has been building out what it calls FirstNet MegaRange<\/a> \u2014 a set of high-powered wireless equipment that it announced earlier this year that can deploy signals from miles away, say from a ship moored off a coast, to deliver reliable connectivity to first responders in the hardest-hit disaster zones.<\/p>\n

As the internet has absorbed more of daily life, the norms for network resilience have become ever more exacting. Small outages can disrupt not just a first responder, but a child taking virtual classes and a doctor conducting remote surgery. From fixed and portable generators to rapid-deployment mobile cell towers and dirigibles, telcos are investing major resources to keep their networks running continuously.<\/p>\n

Yet, these initiatives are ultimately costs borne by telcos increasingly confronting a world burning up. Across conversations with all three telcos and others in the disaster response space, there was a general sense that utilities just increasingly have to self-insulate themselves in a climate-changed world. For instance, cell towers need their own generators because \u2014 as we saw with Texas earlier this year \u2014 even the power grid itself can\u2019t be guaranteed to be there. Critical applications need to have offline capabilities, since internet outages can\u2019t always be prevented. The machine runs, but the machine stops, too.<\/p>\n

The trend lines on the frontlines are data lines<\/h2>\n

While we may rely on connectivity in our daily lives as consumers, disaster responders have been much more hesitant to fully transition to connected services. It is precisely in the middle of a tornado and the cell tower is down that you realize a printed map might have been nice to have. Paper, pens, compasses \u2014 the old staples of survival flicks remain just as important in the field today as they were decades ago.<\/p>\n

Yet, the power of software and connectivity to improve emergency response has forced a rethinking of field communications and how deeply technology is integrated on the ground. Data from the frontlines is extremely useful, and if it can be transmitted, dramatically improves the ability of operations planners to respond safely and efficiently.<\/p>\n

Both ATT and Verizon have made large investments in directly servicing the unique needs of the first responder community, with ATT in particular gaining prominence with its FirstNet network, which it exclusively operates through a public-private partnership with the Department of Commerce\u2019s\u00a0First Responder Network Authority. The government offered a special spectrum license to the FirstNet authority in Band 14 in exchange for the buildout of a responder-exclusive network, a key recommendation of the 9\/11 Commission, which found that first responders couldn\u2019t communicate with each other on the day of those deadly terrorist attacks. Now, Porter of ATT says that the company\u2019s buildout is \u201c90% complete\u201d and is approaching 3 million square miles of coverage.<\/p>\n

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Deep Science: Introspective, detail-oriented and disaster-chasing AIs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Why so much attention on first responders? The telcos are investing here because in many ways, the first responders are on the frontiers of technology. They need edge computing, AI\/ML rapid decision-making, the bandwidth and latency of 5G (which we will get to in a bit), high reliability, and in general, are fairly profitable customers to boot. In other words, what first responders need today are what consumers in general are going to want tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Cory Davis, director of public safety strategy and crisis response at Verizon, explained that \u201cmore than ever, first responders are relying on technology to go out there and save lives.\u201d His counterpart, Nick Nilan, who leads product management for the public sector, said that \u201cwhen we became Verizon, it was really about voice [and] what\u2019s changed over the last five [years] is the importance of data.\u201d He brings attention to tools for situational awareness, mapping, and more that are a becoming standard in the field. Everything first responders do \u201ccomes back to the network \u2014 do you have the coverage where you need it, do you have the network access when something happens?\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenge for the telcos is that we all<\/i> want access to that network when catastrophe strikes, which is precisely when network resources are most scarce. The first responder trying to communicate with their team on the ground or their operations center is inevitably competing with a citizen letting friends know they are safe \u2014 or perhaps just watching the latest episode of a TV show in their vehicle as they are fleeing the evacuation zone.<\/p>\n

That competition is the argument for a completely segmented network like FirstNet, which has its own dedicated spectrum with devices that can only be used by first responders. \u201cWith remote learning, remote work and general congestion,\u201d Porter said, telcos and other bandwidth providers were overwhelmed with consumer demand. \u201cThankfully we saw through FirstNet \u2026 clearing that 20 MHz of spectrum for first responders\u201d helped keep the lines clear for high-priority communications.<\/p>\n

FirstNet\u2019s big emphasis is on its dedicated spectrum, but that\u2019s just one component of a larger strategy to give first responders always-on and ready access to wireless services. ATT and Verizon have made prioritization and preemption key operational components of their networks in recent years. Prioritization gives public safety users better access to the network, while preemption can include actively kicking off lower-priority consumers from the network to ensure first responders have immediate access.<\/p>\n

Nilan of Verizon said, \u201cThe network is built for everybody \u2026 but once we start thinking about who absolutely needs access to the network at a period of time, we prioritize our first responders.\u201d Verizon has prioritization, preemption, and now virtual segmentation \u2014 \u201cwe separate their traffic from consumer traffic\u201d so that first responders don\u2019t have to compete if bandwidth is limited in the middle of a disaster. He noted that all three approaches have been enabled since 2018, and Verizon\u2019s suite of bandwidth and software for first responders comes under the newly christened Verizon Frontline brand<\/a> that launched in March.<\/p>\n

With increased bandwidth reliability, first responders are increasingly connected in ways that even a decade ago would have been unfathomable. Tablets, sensors, connected devices and tools \u2014 equipment that would have been manual are now increasingly digital.<\/p>\n

That opens up a wealth of possibilities now that the infrastructure is established. My interview subjects suggested applications as diverse as the decentralized coordination of response team movements through GPS and 5G; real-time updated maps that offer up-to-date risk analysis of how a disaster might progress; pathfinding for evacuees that\u2019s updated as routes fluctuate; AI damage assessments even before the recovery process begins; and much, much more. In fact, when it comes to the ferment of the imagination, many of those possibilities will finally be realized in the coming years \u2014 when they have only ever been marketing-speak and technical promises in the past.<\/p>\n

Five, Gee<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve been hearing about 5G for years now, and even 6G every once in a while just to cause reporters heart attacks<\/a>, but what does 5G even mean in the context of disaster response? After years of speculation, we are finally starting to get answers.<\/p>\n

Naillon of T-Mobile noted that the biggest benefit of 5G is that it \u201callows us to have greater coverage\u201d particularly given the low-band spectrum that the standard partially uses. That said, \u201cAs far as applications \u2014 we are not really there at that point from an emergency response perspective,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Porter of ATT said that \u201cthe beauty of 5G that we have seen there is less about the speed and more about the latency.\u201d Consumers have often seen marketing around voluminous bandwidths, but in the first-responder world, latency and edge computing tends to be the most desirable features. For instance, devices can relay video to each other on the frontlines, without necessarily needing a backhaul to the main wireless network. On-board processing of image data could allow for rapid decision-making in environments where seconds can be vital to the success of a mission.<\/p>\n

That flexibility is allowing for many new applications in disaster response, and \u201cwe are seeing some amazing use cases coming out of our 5G deployments [and] we have launched some of our pilots with the [Department of Defense],\u201d Porter said. He offered an example of \u201crobotic dogs to go and do bomb dismantling or inspecting and recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verizon has made innovating on new applications a strategic goal, launching a 5G First Responders Lab<\/a> dedicated to guiding a new generation of startups to build at this crossroads. Nilan of Verizon said that the incubator has had more than 20 companies across four different cohorts, working on everything from virtual reality training environments to AR applications that allow firefighters to \u201csee through walls.\u201d His colleague Davis said that \u201cartificial intelligence is going to continue to get better and better and better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blueforce<\/a> is a company that went through the first cohort of the Lab. The company uses 5G to connect sensors and devices together to allow first responders to make the best decisions they can with the most up-to-date data. Michael Helfrich, founder and CEO, said that \u201cbecause of these new networks \u2026 commanders are able to leave the vehicle and go into the field and get the same fidelity\u201d of information that they normally would have to be in a command center to receive. He noted that in addition to classic user interfaces, the company is exploring other ways of presenting information to responders. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to look at a screen anymore, and [we\u2019re] exploring different cognitive models like audio, vibration and heads-up displays.\u201d<\/p>\n

5G will offer many new ways to improve emergency responses, but that doesn\u2019t mean that our current 4G networks will just disappear. Davis said that many sensors in the field don\u2019t need the kind of latency or bandwidth that 5G offers. \u201cLTE is going to be around for many, many more years,\u201d he said, pointing to the hardware and applications taking advantage of LTE-M standards for Internet of Things (IoT) devices as a key development for the future here.<\/p>\n