In rural areas the problems will be the longer stretches without connectivity
The most pressing need for mobile comms and richer media will be in the cities, where this is less of an issue. For getting news out to less populated areas, something like Fidonet could work as a way of disseminating alternative news.
On such a network the communications should be limited to the essentials, rich media is pretty much out of the question.
What about USB flash drives carried by drone aircraft or carrier pigeon?
On another note, the frequency spectrum is highly regulated, powerful base stations operating as hubs could be shut down by triangulation and force and operating transmitters outside of the alloted frequency ranges is forbidden by law.
The only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that does not currently need any regulatory before equipment can be sold or operated is as far as I know > 10GHz, and even then there are strict limits on power.
If one can rapidly disseminate many units, then infringement is not so much of an issue. Protesters are already engaging in civil disobedience, and the authorities already have a lot of other chaos to deal with during a crisis like we are seeing in Tunisia and Egypt.
Other options are UWB and optical links (for instance lasers).
Relevant to both Tunisia and Egypt would be hardware to establish Line of Sight communications with vessels offshore carrying satellite uplinks. Infrared lasers linking with boats 10 miles offshore would be hard to detect.
The most pressing need for mobile comms and richer media will be in the cities, where this is less of an issue. For getting news out to less populated areas, something like Fidonet could work as a way of disseminating alternative news.
On such a network the communications should be limited to the essentials, rich media is pretty much out of the question.
What about USB flash drives carried by drone aircraft or carrier pigeon?
On another note, the frequency spectrum is highly regulated, powerful base stations operating as hubs could be shut down by triangulation and force and operating transmitters outside of the alloted frequency ranges is forbidden by law.
The only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that does not currently need any regulatory before equipment can be sold or operated is as far as I know > 10GHz, and even then there are strict limits on power.
If one can rapidly disseminate many units, then infringement is not so much of an issue. Protesters are already engaging in civil disobedience, and the authorities already have a lot of other chaos to deal with during a crisis like we are seeing in Tunisia and Egypt.
Other options are UWB and optical links (for instance lasers).
Relevant to both Tunisia and Egypt would be hardware to establish Line of Sight communications with vessels offshore carrying satellite uplinks. Infrared lasers linking with boats 10 miles offshore would be hard to detect.
EDIT: WiFi has been transmitted a distance of 237 miles. http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3695986/New-Wi-F...
Unamplified WiFi has gone 125 miles.
http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/31/unamplified-wifi-distance...