Beacon - A Rapidly Deployable Cellphone Network

Abstract

In this thesis we examine the use of rapidly deployable cellphone networks for disaster relief efforts. Disasters are require a coordinated response from many different groups and clear communication to civilians affected by the disaster. This needs a good communication system that does not rely on existing infrastructure that is set up in a small amount of time. Our proposed system is targeted towards use by civilians without a connection to existing telecommunications systems. We have developed a method that allows users of the system to claim telephone numbers along with an automated reputation based moderation system. We undertook experiments and recorded results in the form of logs from consoles and files. These experiments show that the proposed system can be used to provide a decentralised telephony service. Proposed future work includes research into how best to provide information to civilians affected by disasters.