[Freedombox-discuss] Surviving during natural disasters - Would having a freedom box help?

[Paul Gardner-Stephen]

Hi Peter,

You have just had the same inspiration I had which led me to form
ServalProject.org (our inspiration was Haiti, not that I was there
fortunately).  We have mobile phones meshing for exactly this end.
We also have some PV panels with LiPo batteries and USB power out
which can be used to charge phones in this kind of situation ($17 on
ebay for a somewhat inadequate 1W panel - probably need more like
10W-30W for 24/7 autonomy, but intermittent is better than nothing).

We are also in dialog with NZ RC (and have been prior to the quakes)
and eq.org.nz to this end.

So, yes, I agree wholeheartedly :)

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I see the diversity of FB, VillageTelco
and Serval in terms of hardware solutions as being particularly
valuable for dealing with disasters, as well as remote and rural
communities and other such settings.

Paul.