Reconnecting Puerto Rico.

Some of you might have read previous reports on how Disaster Tech Lab has responded to disasters working to reconnect the affected communities.

At the moment we have a team on the ground in Puerto Rico restoring communications since a few days after hurricane Maria hit in late September.

When we first arrived 80% of the population was without power and 75% of the telecommunications infrastructure had been destroyed or was out of order.

Since then we have been working, with support from Cambium Networks, to bring back internet access and communications services to rural communities, hospitals, municipal buildings and more.

We are working with local organisations such as CSIF and community groups but also with FEMA (ESF#2), United Way and more.

At the moment we are running a project which has as target to create a wireless backbone connecting a number of disaster response coordination centers and building local wireless LAN's (see pictures).

The aim is to provide a resilient communications network that will allow these locations to stay connected in occassions where other communications networks are knocked out by extreme weather events etc.

We're using Cambium PMP450's and Force 180 (bridge in a box) units to build the backbone and ePMP1000's for local distribution.

As we are a volunteer organisation and this is a medium to long-term project we are in need of more volunteer.
If you are a WiFi engineer (with Cambium experience) and interested in using your skills to help people in need this is your chance!

Flights and accommodation are provided.
Interested? Follow this link for details on volunteering.

No time to volunteer but still want to support us? Then follow this link.

 

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