What are the alternative communication systems during disasters?

Answer 1

The alternatives are as follows :-

Infrared

One such alternative to commercial communication systems is infrared. This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together. Infrared provides an optical data, voice and video transmission system. Like fiber optic cable, infrared communications systems use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers. However, unlike fiber, the laser light is transmitted through the air. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there must be clear line of site between each unit. In other words, there should be no obstructions such as trees or buildings between the transceiver units. So, if your wireline or wireless communications fails you can still provide communications between two points. The only drawback is the distance and the line-of-sight requirements.

This solution provides low-cost, high-speed wireless connectivity for a variety of last-mile applications. It provides narrowband voice and broadband data connectivity and the various products provide scalable, wireless alternatives to leased lines. These infrared systems operate at data rates of 1 Megabit to Multi Gigabit speeds and they are deployable in one day, without requiring right-of-way or government permits for installation. They can provide an alternative communication link in hours instead of weeks or months. This is probably not an option for a small business, but for a medium or large business owner the cost is affordable. Cost can range from $10K to $25K per installation capable of distances of up to 1000 meters.

Microwave

Another alternative to commercial communication systems is microwave (wireless). This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together that are spaced farther apart than the conventional infrared can operate (i.e., in excess of 1000m). Microwave also provides a data, voice and video transmission system. Unlike infrared communications systems, which use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers, microwave uses ultra-high frequency radio frequency (wireless) transmission. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there again must be clear line of site between each unit. However, the distance that this alternative can span is up to 60 miles as long as no obstructions such as trees or buildings are located between the two locations. If wireline or wireless communications fails communications between two points can still take place. There are several drawbacks to this solution:

* Distance limited to up to 60 miles

* Requires an FCC license to operate

* Right of Way Permits may be required

* Needs highly trained technicians to install equipment

* Cost can be prohibited to small businesses.

The cost of a microwave system can be between $50K and $100K with installation and license preparation charges to be in the area of another $15K. It still provides a viable alternative for medium and large businesses.

Small businesses also have an alternative of smaller wireless systems which utilize non-licensed frequencies and which can be installed by an IT person in the business operation. Cost is about $1000 to $2000, but I must warn you that this is not as reliable a solution as the microwave wireless option and reliable speeds may be slower.

Satellite

So far I have provided solutions that have been better suited for the medium and large business operations. Satellite provides alternatives for small, medium and large enterprises and there are various speed and pricing options, which make it a very attractive alternative or mitigation strategy.

Satellite phones

There are several types of satellite alternatives. If a company is only interested in providing a short term telephone back-up alternative then satellite phone service like INMARSAT, at&t, Iridium, Satcom, Skytel, Worldcell, or Globalstar to name only a few offer basic voice, fax and basic v and e-mail services. They offer mobile phone services and are not usually capable of providing sustained data communication or internet types of services. However, this communications strategy is good for keeping your senior executives and critical operations personnel in contact during disasters. You can rent phones for about $40/week and then pay about $1.00/minute for basic service or you can buy the phones for $700 to $2000 each and negotiate rates in the area of $0.85/minute. So as you can see this is not an inexpensive option, but usable depending on the need for communications.

VSAT

VSAT is an acronym for Very Small Aperture Terminal, an earthbound station used in satellite communications of data, voice and video signals. A VSAT consists of two parts, a transceiver that is placed outdoors in direct line of sight to the satellite and a device that is placed indoors to interface the transceiver with the end user's communications device, such as a PC. It is very much like a satellite TV setup.

VSAT service can be placed into two categories: those that provide basic internet access services and those that are enterprise grade. For the small and medium sized business the Internet access type service is often what is selected. Such offerings as: DirectWay, WildBlue, and Connexstar all offer low cost, small business types of back up solutions which use equipment much like the in-home Satellite Television services.

The data rates are in the area of 200 kbps uplink and 1.5 Mbps downlink which is very much like residential DSL service. The cost is about $300 for the equipment and around $100 or less each month. This would provide a small business the ability to utilize VoIP, VPN and connect to the Internet.

For medium and large size businesses there are more sophisticated satellite services. They require satellite antennas, which are 3 to 5 meters in diameter and much more sophisticated and expensive equipment.

Installation of these more sophisticated satellite services can cost in the range of $100K to $250K with monthly operational service charges from $1000 to $5000/month. They provide quality of service and committed information rates as part of the service. They can provide for up to 150 toll-quality phone lines, broadband Internet, and high speed data communications and also provide secure communication (encrypted) is required.

Satellite services can also be rented as part of a contract or call up service. But, rental services are on a first-come-first served basis. As we witnessed during the tropical storms of last year these portable rental satellite service providers were inundated with requests and try as they would there were only so many units to go around. Those who did not plan or contract ahead were left without service.

Answer 2

The alternatives are as follows :-

Infrared

One such alternative to commercial communication systems is infrared. This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together. Infrared provides an optical data, voice and video transmission system. Like fiber optic cable, infrared communications systems use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers. However, unlike fiber, the laser light is transmitted through the air. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there must be clear line of site between each unit. In other words, there should be no obstructions such as trees or buildings between the transceiver units. So, if your wireline or wireless communications fails you can still provide communications between two points. The only drawback is the distance and the line-of-sight requirements.

This solution provides low-cost, high-speed wireless connectivity for a variety of last-mile applications. It provides narrowband voice and broadband data connectivity and the various products provide scalable, wireless alternatives to leased lines. These infrared systems operate at data rates of 1 Megabit to Multi Gigabit speeds and they are deployable in one day, without requiring right-of-way or government permits for installation. They can provide an alternative communication link in hours instead of weeks or months. This is probably not an option for a small business, but for a medium or large business owner the cost is affordable. Cost can range from $10K to $25K per installation capable of distances of up to 1000 meters.

Microwave

Another alternative to commercial communication systems is microwave (wireless). This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together that are spaced farther apart than the conventional infrared can operate (i.e., in excess of 1000m). Microwave also provides a data, voice and video transmission system. Unlike infrared communications systems, which use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers, microwave uses ultra-high frequency radio frequency (wireless) transmission. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there again must be clear line of site between each unit. However, the distance that this alternative can span is up to 60 miles as long as no obstructions such as trees or buildings are located between the two locations. If wireline or wireless communications fails communications between two points can still take place. There are several drawbacks to this solution:

* Distance limited to up to 60 miles

* Requires an FCC license to operate

* Right of Way Permits may be required

* Needs highly trained technicians to install equipment

* Cost can be prohibited to small businesses.

The cost of a microwave system can be between $50K and $100K with installation and license preparation charges to be in the area of another $15K. It still provides a viable alternative for medium and large businesses.

Small businesses also have an alternative of smaller wireless systems which utilize non-licensed frequencies and which can be installed by an IT person in the business operation. Cost is about $1000 to $2000, but I must warn you that this is not as reliable a solution as the microwave wireless option and reliable speeds may be slower.

Satellite

So far I have provided solutions that have been better suited for the medium and large business operations. Satellite provides alternatives for small, medium and large enterprises and there are various speed and pricing options, which make it a very attractive alternative or mitigation strategy.

Satellite phones

There are several types of satellite alternatives. If a company is only interested in providing a short term telephone back-up alternative then satellite phone service like INMARSAT, at&t, Iridium, Satcom, Skytel, Worldcell, or Globalstar to name only a few offer basic voice, fax and basic v and e-mail services. They offer mobile phone services and are not usually capable of providing sustained data communication or internet types of services. However, this communications strategy is good for keeping your senior executives and critical operations personnel in contact during disasters. You can rent phones for about $40/week and then pay about $1.00/minute for basic service or you can buy the phones for $700 to $2000 each and negotiate rates in the area of $0.85/minute. So as you can see this is not an inexpensive option, but usable depending on the need for communications.

VSAT

VSAT is an acronym for Very Small Aperture Terminal, an earthbound station used in satellite communications of data, voice and video signals. A VSAT consists of two parts, a transceiver that is placed outdoors in direct line of sight to the satellite and a device that is placed indoors to interface the transceiver with the end user's communications device, such as a PC. It is very much like a satellite TV setup.

VSAT service can be placed into two categories: those that provide basic Internet access services and those that are enterprise grade. For the small and medium sized business the Internet access type service is often what is selected. Such offerings as: DirectWay, WildBlue, and Connexstar all offer low cost, small business types of back up solutions which use equipment much like the in-home Satellite Television services.

The data rates are in the area of 200 kbps uplink and 1.5 Mbps downlink which is very much like residential DSL service. The cost is about $300 for the equipment and around $100 or less each month. This would provide a small business the ability to utilize VoIP, VPN and connect to the Internet.

For medium and large size businesses there are more sophisticated satellite services. They require satellite antennas, which are 3 to 5 meters in diameter and much more sophisticated and expensive equipment.

Installation of these more sophisticated satellite services can cost in the range of $100K to $250K with monthly operational service charges from $1000 to $5000/month. They provide quality of service and committed information rates as part of the service. They can provide for up to 150 toll-quality phone lines, broadband Internet, and high speed data communications and also provide secure communication (encrypted) is required.

Satellite services can also be rented as part of a contract or call up service. But, rental services are on a first-come-first served basis. As we witnessed during the tropical storms of last year these portable rental satellite service providers were inundated with requests and try as they would there were only so many units to go around. Those who did not plan or contract ahead were left without service.

Answer 3

The alternatives are as follows :-

Infrared

One such alternative to commercial communication systems is infrared. This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together. Infrared provides an optical data, voice and video transmission system. Like fiber optic cable, infrared communications systems use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers. However, unlike fiber, the laser light is transmitted through the air. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there must be clear line of site between each unit. In other words, there should be no obstructions such as trees or buildings between the transceiver units. So, if your wireline or wireless communications fails you can still provide communications between two points. The only drawback is the distance and the line-of-sight requirements.

This solution provides low-cost, high-speed wireless connectivity for a variety of last-mile applications. It provides narrowband voice and broadband data connectivity and the various products provide scalable, wireless alternatives to leased lines. These infrared systems operate at data rates of 1 Megabit to Multi Gigabit speeds and they are deployable in one day, without requiring right-of-way or government permits for installation. They can provide an alternative communication link in hours instead of weeks or months. This is probably not an option for a small business, but for a medium or large business owner the cost is affordable. Cost can range from $10K to $25K per installation capable of distances of up to 1000 meters.

Microwave

Another alternative to commercial communication systems is microwave (wireless). This alternative is used if a company needs to interconnect two buildings together that are spaced farther apart than the conventional infrared can operate (i.e., in excess of 1000m). Microwave also provides a data, voice and video transmission system. Unlike infrared communications systems, which use laser light to transmit a digital signal between two transceivers, microwave uses ultra-high frequency radio frequency (wireless) transmission. In order for the digital signal to be transmitted and received, there again must be clear line of site between each unit. However, the distance that this alternative can span is up to 60 miles as long as no obstructions such as trees or buildings are located between the two locations. If wireline or wireless communications fails communications between two points can still take place. There are several drawbacks to this solution:

* Distance limited to up to 60 miles

* Requires an FCC license to operate

* Right of Way Permits may be required

* Needs highly trained technicians to install equipment

* Cost can be prohibited to small businesses.

The cost of a microwave system can be between $50K and $100K with installation and license preparation charges to be in the area of another $15K. It still provides a viable alternative for medium and large businesses.

Small businesses also have an alternative of smaller wireless systems which utilize non-licensed frequencies and which can be installed by an IT person in the business operation. Cost is about $1000 to $2000, but I must warn you that this is not as reliable a solution as the microwave wireless option and reliable speeds may be slower.

Satellite

So far I have provided solutions that have been better suited for the medium and large business operations. Satellite provides alternatives for small, medium and large enterprises and there are various speed and pricing options, which make it a very attractive alternative or mitigation strategy.

Satellite phones

There are several types of satellite alternatives. If a company is only interested in providing a short term telephone back-up alternative then satellite phone service like INMARSAT, at&t, Iridium, Satcom, Skytel, Worldcell, or Globalstar to name only a few offer basic voice, fax and basic v and e-mail services. They offer mobile phone services and are not usually capable of providing sustained data communication or Internet types of services. However, this communications strategy is good for keeping your senior executives and critical operations personnel in contact during disasters. You can rent phones for about $40/week and then pay about $1.00/minute for basic service or you can buy the phones for $700 to $2000 each and negotiate rates in the area of $0.85/minute. So as you can see this is not an inexpensive option, but usable depending on the need for communications.

VSAT

VSAT is an acronym for Very Small Aperture Terminal, an earthbound station used in satellite communications of data, voice and video signals. A VSAT consists of two parts, a transceiver that is placed outdoors in direct line of sight to the satellite and a device that is placed indoors to interface the transceiver with the end user's communications device, such as a PC. It is very much like a satellite TV setup.

VSAT service can be placed into two categories: those that provide basic Internet access services and those that are enterprise grade. For the small and medium sized business the Internet access type service is often what is selected. Such offerings as: DirectWay, WildBlue, and Connexstar all offer low cost, small business types of back up solutions which use equipment much like the in-home Satellite Television services.

The data rates are in the area of 200 kbps uplink and 1.5 Mbps downlink which is very much like residential DSL service. The cost is about $300 for the equipment and around $100 or less each month. This would provide a small business the ability to utilize VoIP, VPN and connect to the Internet.

For medium and large size businesses there are more sophisticated satellite services. They require satellite antennas, which are 3 to 5 meters in diameter and much more sophisticated and expensive equipment.

Installation of these more sophisticated satellite services can cost in the range of $100K to $250K with monthly operational service charges from $1000 to $5000/month. They provide quality of service and committed information rates as part of the service. They can provide for up to 150 toll-quality phone lines, broadband Internet, and high speed data communications and also provide secure communication (encrypted) is required.

Satellite services can also be rented as part of a contract or call up service. But, rental services are on a first-come-first served basis. As we witnessed during the tropical storms of last year these portable rental satellite service providers were inundated with requests and try as they would there were only so many units to go around. Those who did not plan or contract ahead were left without service.