Pulver: Internet Should Follow Ham Radio's Lead

BOSTON -- Being a ham radio operator, VoIP entrepreneur Jeff Pulver is the perfect person to merge disaster recovery ideas between the amateur radio enthusiasts and the IP communications industry. His latest idea? A joint "field day" for radio and Internet geeks to test their emergency-preparedness skills. Announced during his keynote speech at the Fall VON conference here Tuesday, Pulver's plan is just an idea, but expect more information to surface soon. According to Pulver, the ham radio operators have a yearly weekend exercise where they do simulated emergency-response drills, attempting to set up communications in a (make-believe) hostile environment.

Readers of this blog know that Internet folks are looking for a similar way to contribute their expertise, especially after watching the communications meltdown after Hurricane Katrina.

"There's been a tremendous outpouring of support" from the Internet and IP communications industry, Pulver said, seeking an outlet. So his proposal is a joint preparedness exercise with the ARRL, an idea which that group's representatives fully endorse. Right now the target is sometime in late June of next year.

Watch this space for more information as it becomes available. And keep those ad hoc networking skills sharp.