When we look back at recent wildfires, earthquakes, and other disasters, we remember the critical loss of cell sites, RF towers, connectivity to 911 dispatch centers, broadcast stations, and public alerting systems. We know that our centralized communications infrastructure is never invincible. So, how we avoid these communications challenges moving

The Off-Grid Operator Series is an interview series where we chat with practitioners conducting operations in the world’s most austere and rugged environments.  Going off the grid takes a combination of courage, planning, and training. Even in the best of situations with the most prepared teams, things can often go

The Tech Spotlight Series is an interview series where we chat with experts in the technology sector about the latest in off-grid communications. Fix it in post! That’s often heard in the film industry. But industry professionals know that any work done after the fact is far more expensive than

When disasters damage or destroy terrestrial communications networks, first responders need rapidly deployable equipment to maintain situational awareness and communications. This was one of the central discussions during the 2020 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE 2020), a virtual event that brought together critical communications technology providers, practitioners, and other industry

Whether it’s the current global COVID pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, or other crises, national emergencies show us who the heroes are.  The Last Mile Podcast recently sat down with two heroes, Source One MRO’s Brad Bihun and Keith Cowell, who are providing solutions to help first responders stay safe within the

The Last Mile Podcast features in-depth interviews with operators on the front lines of remote and austere missions around the world. Rafael Bobe, owner of LCG Holdings in Puerto Rico, knows the value of reliable and resilient communications networks. He was on the ground during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in

COVID-19 presents an immediate challenge to emergency management organizations responding to secondary disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. As ventilators, tests, and personal protective equipment flood our newsfeeds, we can’t forget the basic need underlying any disaster response: communications. With threats from cybersecurity to climate change, communications challenges were mounting

The Tech Spotlight Series is an interview series where we chat with experts in the technology sector about the latest in off-grid communications. For this month’s spotlight, we interviewed Raphael Abrams, the lead of hardware engineering at goTenna. As the company’s first employee, he developed goTenna’s two generations of consumer

Public safety agencies and organizations across the globe are becoming increasingly smartphone-centric. In a recent webinar hosted by the International Public Safety Association, panelist Dale Stockton said, “When you consider the sheer utility and overall functionality, [smartphones] have become the tech equivalent of the proverbial Swiss Army knife.”  It’s this

Mobile devices and applications are increasingly critical to day-to-day public safety operations, but many organizations are unprepared in the event cell phone connectivity — and access to these new tools — becomes unreliable or unavailable. New advancements in mobile and wireless communications are now allowing emergency response and recovery teams