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Enabling communications when disaster strikes
Enabling communications when disaster strikes
What if you could?
Send public alerts and private messages
To all smartphones in a given area
Even if cellular networks are congested / damaged
Without any infrastructure or CAPEX
Challenges smartphone users face
A new way to communicate
Bluetooth 100m (50mW)
Wi-Fi Direct, 802.11s, AirDrop 100m (350mW)
LTE Direct 500m (1,000mW)
Phone to Phone
ANT 100m (50mW)
Phone to Phone network
“Taklub” by Brillante Mendoza
Kashmir
The Kashmir Valley flooded in September 2014. More than 500 people in India and Pakistan lost their lives. Communication networks collapsed. People were stranded and could not reach their families or receive information about assistance.
In April 2015, the region experienced heavy rains again. Kashmiris used FireChat to exchange hyperlocal, real time information about water levels, breaches and road closures. This demonstrates FireChat’s potential to empower communities by allowing them to create and leverage their own communication channels.
Kashmir - April 2015
Chennai - December 2015
The city of Chennai in Southern India flooded dramatically in December 2015. It is a sprawling metropolis with more than 5 million habitants. Within hours, cell netwoks stopped working because of major power cuts.
Citizens used FireChat to share critical information at the street-level. In five days, the “Citizen’s Network” registered more than 23,000 new users.
Chennai - December 2015
“Open Garden may have found the next version of the Internet.”
Manila - January 2015
Manila - January 2015
Philippines - Typhoon Watch
Since April 2015, FireChat is used by three of the largest media groups in the Philippines to disseminate localised updates in real time about typhoon activity. Citizens can also share live information about conditions in their area.
Philippines - April 2015
FireChat has partnered with the City of Marikina in Manila and the Philippine Government to establish the world’s first city-level ‘mesh’ network. This ‘citizen network’ allows Marikeños to communicate for free on an everyday basis and also in situations of emergency when networks are destroyed.
#Marikina - 18.10.15
Alert systemPeer-to-peer messages and alerts
Endless propagation within a specific area
Even when cellular network is congested
Instant notification of all smartphones
Created from mobile and desktop
Authorized organizations/people
Alerts can be sent from:
1. outside of an area and travel from the edge of the area
2. within an area by a person who is on site using the mobile app
Winner Tech4Resilience - Manila April 2015
Winner Innovation Award - SXSW Austin March 2015
Winner Boldness in Business - Financial Times London March 2015
Winner Grand Prize - GMIC San Francisco 2013
Most Disruptive - TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2012
Winner - Android Open San Francisco 2011
Awards
You are the In te rne t
Marina Azcarate Head of Global Marketing [email protected]
We need to start thinking about how we will scale.
