Escrevemos um artigo, cibercultura e tsunamis , sobre as tecnologias sem fio e as grandes catástrofes. Vejam agora como essas tecnologias estão sendo usadas em New Orleans pós-Katrina no artigo New Orleans’ Wi-Fi network now a lifeline – Computerworld: Aqui pequenos excertos:

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the only communication system that hadn’t broken down was the wireless mesh network deployed in the downtown area to support surveillance cameras credited with reducing the city’s prestorm violent-crime rate.
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Now the wireless mesh system made by Tropos supports a radio network for computer equipment in police cars as well as a free municipal Wi-Fi service. The city never tested the network for its current use, but it had no other choice, the CIO said.
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The mesh creates a Wi-Fi cloud over the downtown business district and the French Quarter, with the bandwidth segmented for public safety and public Wi-Fi.
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He said the situation is likely to continue indefinitely because the traditional wireline phone companies say they will not rebuild in the city for a long time. “We’re letting this Wi-Fi technology become indigenous infrastructure to help bring the city back,” Meffert said.
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Four months ago, the city population was 50,000, and now it’s 250,000. “The wireless network is part of what’s making them able to come back,” he said.