WiFi networks played a key role in disaster response efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake by providing critical communication when other infrastructure was damaged. Volunteer groups built resilient mesh WiFi networks across 20 locations like hospitals and schools using equipment from Aruba Networks, allowing emergency workers, displaced people, and medical teams to communicate. These WiFi networks provided internet access, voice calls, telemedicine, and more when other options were limited.

1. THE ROLE OF WIFI IN DISASTER
RESPONSE
Haiti Connect; a case study

2. Communication

6. But what if this happens?

9. Communication is reduced to this:

10. Traditionally emergency response brought *all*
their own communications equipment.

11. Disadvantages:
• No comms until everything was shipped in and
distributed.
• Number of “client” devices are limited.
• Expensive.
• Complicated
• Communication limited to rescue workers &
government personnel

12. What would be better?
• Provide the network not the clients.
• Ease of build, configuration and use.
• Affordable.
• Resilient.

13. WiFi ticks all these boxes.

14. Hurricane Katrina
• New Orleans muni-wifi network only comms network which survived.
• It became the de-facto communications network for the rescue effort.
• 110,000 home inspections in just 6 weeks, and to issue 500 building permits per
day (a 500% increase)
• WiFi also used for public internet centres allowing displaced people to locate &
communicate with family.
• Large grassroots effort by WISP’s from all across the USA.
• Use of pre-WiMax, self-healing mesh, VoIP, and satellite uplinks mostly combined
with Wi-Fi on the local link

15. Benefits
• Equipment is widely available.
• Interoperability
• Easy of install
• Self-healing (mesh)
• 1000’s (if not 100,000’s) of clients. Laptops, voip-phones, smartphones, desktop
computers etc.
• Unlicensed
• Suitable for p-2-links right down to LAN level.
• Secure (different levels of encryption)

16. ROLL FORWARD TO JANUARY
12 2010
TH

17. Haiti Earthquake

18. Haiti in short
• Population: 9,801,664
• 80% of the population living under the poverty line
• Bad or no infrastructure
• Average wage < $2 per day
• 50,000 landline phones & 4 million cellular phones
• Telecommunications infrastructure is among the least developed in Latin America
and the Caribbean
• 1 million internet users

19. Direct effects of earthquake
• Nearly 316,000 people dead & 300,000 injured.
• Major destruction of already limited infrastructure.
• Outbreaks of infectious diseases.
• Shortages of water, food & medication
• Lack of basic sanitation
• Civil unrest

20. So what does someone living in Ireland with no
experience in disaster response do?
He decides to go to Haiti to build wifi
networks........

21. Volunteers

22. Equipment

25. Lots of different equipment sponsors but Aruba Networks was by far the biggest one!

26. Planning

31. Network overview

32. Network architecture
• Point-2-Point links built using a mix of dish & directional panel antennas
• Local “campus type” wireless networks built using Aruba AP85’s both in mesh and
wired configurations.
• Meshing via 5Ghz with clients on 2.4 (if lots of legacy devices) or vice versa
(preferred).
• All power via POE.
• Indoor WLAN’s using Aruba AP65’s both meshed and wired.
• Aruba 2400 domain controllers with 800 controllers acting as local controllers.
• Mix of encrypted/secure network and un-encrypted.
• Different levels of bandwidth

33. Performance
• Local “conditions” negated the need for Aruba’s top level “bells and whistles”.
• Lots of legacy devices but flexible configuration handled this without real issues.
• “Aruba only” networks were rock-solid, scalable and infinitly manageable.
• Outdoor AP’s survived numerous hurricanes with <5% failure rate.
• Steep learning curve but excellent support from Aruba (thank you Jerrod Howard)
enabled us to provide a service level far exceeding our expectations.

34. Obstacles
• BYOD: lots of different, unmanaged devices with different performance levels &
expectations.
• Backhaul; satellite very common but unusable. Most backhaul had to be purposely
built
• Power: even mains supplies, which wasn’t common, was unstable. Majority of
equipment is powered by generators or batteries.
• Security: can’t level expensive equipment accessible or it will be stolen
• Weather; extreme heat, humidity and hurricanes.

35. Applications
• Basic http, pop, ftp etc access.
• VoiP; ranging from Skype to voip phones.
• Video-conferencing
• Tele-medicine
• GIS/Mapping

36. MediShare hospital -> UN base

37. Camejo Hospital Leogane

39. Summary:
• Provided Internet connectivity and WLAN networks +/- 20 different locations
(hospitals, clinics, schools, missions and others).
• Assisted in & supported the establishment of 2 internet cafes.
• Provided connectivity for tele-medicine program in Leogane.
• Also provided generator to power surgical theatres & patient wards in Leogane.
• Some wifi equipment installed in temporary facilities and now being allocated for
alternative use.
• Developing plans for dedicated global rapid response team.

40. Website: www.haiti-connect.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HaitiConnect
Twitter: @Haiti_connect