In my Fast Company article, "Power to the People" I anticipated the development of parallel communications networks for first responders (which will expand to encompass much of the population in the area):
"Corporate communications monopolies will crumble as cities build their own emergency wireless networks using simple products ..."There are signs of life on this front. New York City, an innovator in grassroots security, is doing this already for first responders. They have an request for proposal (RFP) out for a wireless network (full document). Here's the highlights (of course, this points to a great opportunity for companies building turn-key wireless networks bundled with bundled applications/software for first responders):
The New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) is seeking a systems integrator (hereinafter referred to as the “Integrator”) qualified to design, construct, manage and maintain a citywide wireless network or networks (“Network(s)”) sufficiently robust to satisfy the varied and demanding requirements of New York City’s public safety agencies.At some point, after these networks are built, they are likely to become "hardened" back-ups to commercial networks for business and personal use.