Hawaii 911: Cell Phone Service Failure
August 12, 2023 | Zero5G.com | One fact of life is that cell phone service is unreliable, especially when needed most: during emergencies and extreme weather.
August 10th, CNN reported, “Thousands of people in Maui are without cell service as the wildfires continue to rage out of control on the island, preventing people from calling emergency services or updating loved ones about their status. It could take days or even weeks to get the networks back up and running.”
Link to Article HERE
According to Geotel, “One of the first and immediate impacts of any natural disaster is the collapse of communications infrastructures. Standard cell or landline telecommunications infrastructures are likely to be knocked out, causing disruption to telephone, internet access, and potentially even satellite-based emergency communication devices.”
Hawaii’s alarm system didn’t warn people of the blaze. Why did it fail?
“…alerts were sent out through cellphones, televisions and radio stations, which weren’t reliable considering the power and cell tower outages at the time.“
Link To Full Article HERE
MORE CONTEXT
Hawaii Digital Government Summit 2023 (govtech.com)
Hawaii’s Gov. Green goes to the UN to talk about the State (khon2.com)
In addition, communications infrastructure may also contribute to damage and fires as has happened in Hawaii and California.
Link To Full Article HERE
Another unspoken truth is the desiccating impact of cell tower radiation that might also be an underlying factor in creating conditions to increase dryness in grasslands, thus increasing fire hazard.
Image source
Families and communities in Hawaii need support to rebuild and heal from this disaster.
Help Maui Rise: Directly Aid ʻOhana Displaced by Fires
As we send our prayers and help to our loved ones there, this catastrophe must serve as a warning and wake-up call to communities everywhere to quickly address the built-in unreliability and safety hazard of wireless infrastructures.
Weather is unpredictable, so our communications must be safe and reliable.
Communications wires, microwave antenna radiation, and equipment hanging from poles are potential hazards, especially in fires and extreme weather events.
The urgent need to prioritize safety and upgrade communications systems to fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) – well insulated and placed responsibly under the ground – is a lesson to be learned to prevent future harm.
Why cell phone service is down in Maui — and when it could be restored | CNN Business
“Although strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. Fire, however, complicates the issue.
“When the fires get too close to cell sites, they will obviously burn equipment, antennas, and feedlines,” said Glenn O’Donnell, VP of research at market research firm Forrester. “In extreme cases, they will also weaken the towers, leading some to collapse. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”
If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore…”
Link To Full Article HERE
Related
Why cell phone service is down in Maui — and when it could be restored – KION546
Hawaii utility faces scrutiny for not shutting power to reduce fire risks – The Washington Post
https://www.geo-tel.com/telecommunications-infrastructures-disaster-recovery/
Crucial communication proves difficult as wildfires knock out cell towers – CBS News
August-2023-fires-emergency-proclamation.pdf (hawaii.gov)
August 2023 Wildfires in Hawaii