Satellite
phone assistance: The use of satellite phones at
the WTC site, when most cell phone antennas in the area were
destroyed, and now in Afghanistan have shown the value of
such systems for emergency backup and for telecommunications
in remote areas.
Iridium
and GlobalStar companies
distributed free phones to emergency workers at the WTC site.
The $5 billion Iridium
system was sold after bankruptcy for only $25 million. The
system has now become viable due to a large contract with
the US defense department and with increasing use by civilians
who work in remove areas, e.g. ocean oil platforms, and for
emergency backup.
Thuraya
phones, which use a geostationary satellite to serve the region
of Europe, Africa, and Asia, has become quite popular during
the crisis, even with the supposedly anti-technology Taliban
- Rumsfeld
Says Taliban Have Satellite Telephones - Space.com - Nov.14.01
The Inmarsat
based videophones have become essential tools for reporters
in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Videophones
give reporters an edge - CNET.com - Sept.12.01
See more sat phone related articles
in the Investing
section.
GPS
& the war: The Global
Positioning System was initially created by the Defense department
for a number of military applications ranging from bomb guidance
to soldiers locating themselves on the battlefield. Various
civilian uses soon developed, such as navigation for ships
and airplanes, and in the Gulf War, some soldiers even obtained
civilian navigators due to a shortage of military units.
As the civilian applications
have spread, a question has arisen as to what extent the system
could be scrambled during wartime to reduce its benefits to
the enemy but avoid chaos in the civilian systems that rely
on it.
Apparently, in the current situation,
the system is degraded just within the Afghanistan area. Pentagon
is probably jamming GPS in Afghanistan, experts say - Computerworld
- Oct.26.01 * Pentagon
Denies GPS to Taliban - Wired - Oct.20.01.
The GPS is also being used to
map out the WTC site: Satellites
Aid Recovery at Trade Center - ABCNEWS.com - Nov.14.01
See more GPS related articles
in the GPS
section.
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