The white paper suggests that fiber broadband is the best overall solution for three reasons. The first is that it is more reliable, has greater capacity and lower latency than other communications platforms. Fiber is also more resistant to congestion, weather and line-of-sight limitations. And, finally, fiber is better positioned to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and - though the white paper doesn't mention it - the Internet of Things.
Every year, regions of the world are hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods. As a result of climate change, these phenomena have not only increased in number and severity, but it has also become more difficult to predict when they might occur. Although the areas most prone to these hazards try to take proactive measures, many sources of information are not timely enough or are of limited use.
NCTA-The Internet & Television Association has released "After the Storm," an eight-minute on-the-ground documentary about cable operators' contributions in the wake of emergencies and disasters. The presentation provides many quick shots of repair and emergency crews working to restore service. The NCTA documentary shows that the work of repairing broadband networks in the wake of a disaster is hard and potentially dangerous, and that cable operators are one of several entities who must rely upon each other.
Indonesia has halted the search for bodies at a collapsed Islamic boarding school after retrieving more than 60, officials said. The National Search and Rescue Agency announced on Tuesday that the teams were stepping down after more than a week of efforts to recover victims trapped beneath the rubble at the al-Khoziny school. Parts of the school in the town of Sidoarjo, East Java, caved in on September 29 while the students were at afternoon prayers.
At least one person has died while dozens were trapped after an Islamic boarding school building collapsed in Indonesia's East Java province, officials said Tuesday. Over 100 people, mostly children, have been rescued from the debris of the Al Khoziny school which collapsed on Monday afternoon, the disaster mitigation agency said in a statement. It was unclear how many people were still stuck under the rubble of the building, with reports varying between 38 and 65 missing. The building collapsed under the weight of the fourth floor which was being constructed. The building's expansion had not been authorized, according to provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast.
Wildfires that have raged through one of Africa's largest national parks were under control, Namibia's government has said, amid criticisms from citizen firefighters over the lack of a national disaster response mechanism and limited resources. Fire broke out in Etosha national park, in the arid desert nation's north, on 22 September. The government said it suspected charcoal production next to the park, which is home to 114 mammal species including the critically endangered black rhino, was to blame.
Taiwan premier Cho Jung-tai called on Wednesday for an inquiry into what went wrong with evacuation orders in an eastern county where flooding from a breached mountain lake during a strong typhoon killed 14, as fresh warnings spooked residents, reports Reuters. Sub-tropical Taiwan, frequently hit by typhoons, normally has a well-oiled disaster mechanism that averts mass casualties by moving people out of potential danger zones quickly.
Built to meet local and international building codes, they're very different from the cheap, toxic trailers that FEMA deployed 20 years ago, when Hurricane Katrina displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Some of those trailers had formaldehyde levels that were 75 times greater than safe levels. They were poorly insulated and never meant for long-term housing, but some families were stuck in them for years.
A sudden flow of debris and water surged through Dharali village in the Kheer Gad area near Harsil, prompted by a massive mudslide. Videos showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away buildings.
Flash flooding in Texas over the July 4th weekend has resulted in at least 137 fatalities, with the local art community providing support to affected individuals and families.
Wilsey said of an initial social media post, "Because I was like, No, I'm not. I'm not helpless. I can do something." Within 48 hours of that post, Wilsey had rallied more than 300 people to donate supplies and support her effort to assemble flood relief kits for impacted families.
Sen. Maria Cantwell emphasized the importance of improving communication systems and science to better prepare for future natural disasters, particularly in light of recent tragedies.
