Katrina aftermath wireless proving ground

Katrina aftermath wireless proving ground

(AP) -- Hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast
and knocked out telecommunications across much of the region, Mac
Dearman visited shelters in northern Louisiana to connect
telephones.

Dearman doesn't work for a phone company.

He owns a local wireless Internet service provider, and the gear
he set up doesn't need a traditional phone network. It carries
calls -- as well as e-mail and other data -- over the Internet.

"In the first 24 hours after we plugged the phones in, there were
11 family members reunited," he said. "We got a hug every time we
went into a shelter to make sure things are up and running all
right"...

For the two full articles, see...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/10/05/k...h.response.ap/
www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/10/03/mac.dearman/