Amateur Radio Operators Hope Phone Outage is 'Wake-Up Call':

Some amateur radio operators are hoping a massive phone outage in Atlantic Canada inspires people to be more prepared for emergency situations. Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, uses FM frequencies to communicate with other devices without the use of landline, cell or internet services. "We're really a backup network," said licensed radio operator Chris Vessey, who is based in Charlottetown. "In the event of a dire emergency, we're capable of taking our equipment out, setting it up and helping authorities to communicate." For several hours on Friday, Bell Aliant landline and cell services, as well as Telus, Virgin and Koodo users, were cut off after damage to two fibre lines. People from retailers to emergency responders across the region experienced a disruption in connectivity. "I was on standby," said Vessey. "If necessary, we would have rolled out some resources, some personnel to assist with communications." Vessey said all homes should have a conventional radio that doesn't rely on an Internet connection to be able to tune into news channels in the event of power disruption. He also said he hopes more people consider getting a license to operate amateur radio, so that people have the means to communicate in all scenarios. "This is a wake-up call ... It shows us what could happen, so I think it's a good idea for everybody to consider being ready for disaster," said Vessey.

from Ham Radio Times http://ift.tt/2vaMlNq
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