Transcending Technology – Michael J. Russell

Friends in Asia, Europe and Oceania have been telling me for years they’re positively dumbfounded by how North American businesses and consumers are willing to put up with the oligopolistic tyranny of wireless carriers, their inconsistent service, overburdened data networks, locked handsets, dubious charges and a litany of other grievances, especially in the U.S.

After all, in many parts of the world, you choose your handset and your carrier…in whichever mix-and-match combination strikes your fancy.

Well, the OpenBTS technology discussed in this MIT TechReview piece is a harbinger of things to come already here, along with the decentralization and democratization of almost every other meaningful digital technology, so now there may be some intriguing alternatives.

Consider the possibilities represented by cheap, sustainable, easily-deployable wireless networks for community resilience/resiliency, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, much less the opportunities for leapfrogging failed, obsolete (or non-existent) infrastructure in the developing world.

—Mike Russell

National Public Radio’s All Tech Considered radio feature and website referenced our CrisisCamp/CrisisCommons community’s work in Washington, DC; Brooklyln, NY; Los Angeles and Silicon Valley/San Francisco, CA for Haitian relief this past weekend. It should also be noted that NPR’s own Social Media Director, Andy Carvin played a major role in helping to organize and coordinate some the the key volunteer project work, as well as outreach to critical NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations.)

Amazing. This is what every AT&T Wireless subscriber in America with web access saw when they opened their phone browser to the MEdia Net default home page on Sunday morning, 1/17/10: The CNN feature story on CrisisCamp Haiti 2010.

What a incredible privilege to be a part of this project, and to be able to contribute in even the smallest way to the efforts of so many gifted and unselfish people, all of whom gave so generously of their time and talents in the service of those in need.

I am truly blessed to know and work with you.