Off-grid communications: Part 1

Last month, many Americans woke up to an unexpected problem. No cell service. No text messages, phone calls, or data from cell towers. In some cases, this meant zero communication with the outside world, especially if the ISP that provided internet also serviced all the cell phones in the home. In the modern day to day, the way the world communicates with one other is a bundle of eggs in one basket. The internet. News, text, voice, and video communication are generally serviced through an Internet Service Provider. As consumers, this is a convenient one-stop shop for all things communications-related. However, staying connected when the lights go out and disaster strikes presents an inherent concern. Not being able to contact loved ones, receive up-to-date news, or have general situational awareness is frightening. Having alternate, contingent, and emergency plans for a grid-down scenario keeps the lines of communication open. Off-grid solutions provide a level of reliability and continuity that doesn’t depend on larger infrastructure outside a single individual’s or entity’s control. Most of these solutions are decentralized and not vulnerable to one single point of failure. While the solutions presented here are not comprehensive. It is meant to provide a primer to get started.

Read more – Outdoor Hub: https://www.outdoorhub.com/how-to/2024/03/14/off-grid-communications-part-1/