Internet shut-down in two to four days during flu pandemic

[AGENDA21]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Telephone and Internet services could be overwhelmed and shut down in the early stages of a bird flu pandemic as people panic and try to work from home, according to a report released on Thursday.

Businesses need to think of other ways to keep going as governments close schools and direct people to stay home, management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton reported.

The company issued the report based on a exercise conducted at the World Economic Forum in January, involving 30 chief executive officers of companies, government ministers, and senior officials of the United Nations.

Snip..

"Telecommunications (phone and Internet) will likely be overwhelmed early in a pandemic, with experts predicting shut-downs in two to four days, meaning that telecommuting will not be viable and alternative communications need to be explored," the report read.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-27T195935Z_01_N27185766_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-TELECOMMUNICATIONS.xml

[NNN0LHI]

1. The internet is designed to survive a nuclear war but not the bird flu?

I wonder why that is?

Don

[bananas]

21. Just like phone lines get overloaded when there is a disaster

Please read the beginning of the article again - it says "Telephone and Internet", not just internet. Whenever there's a disaster, the first thing they say on radio and tv is not to overwhelm the phone system so that emergency calls can get through:

To help the communication system work during an emergency:
1. Do not make unnecessary phone calls. They will only add calls to an overloaded system and may prevent emergency calls from getting through.
http://www.portlandonline.com/index.cfm?&a=9397&c=chfec

Also see my post: "The technical term is 'oversubscribe'"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1041517&mesg_id=1041735

[shenmue]

2. Tinfoil hat alert...

:tinfoilhat:

I don't care who they are, it sounds stupid.

[malaise]

4. So when do they intend to announce the pandemic

Is November the planned date?

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. Right on target.

[rodeodance]

3. we can learn from obl--and how he gets his messages out.

[napi21]

5. Of for God sake, where did this idea come from?

Are they really insinuating that those same people don't use the net when they're in their office?

I guess I can see some select regions having a bit slower net response during very heavy usage, but SHUT DOWN?

[The Magistrate]

6. Purely Speculative Panic-Mongering, Sir

Neither a fact nor even a likelihood as a prediction. This much touted affliction will not even be noticed among the normal flu statistics should it ever actually break into the human populace.

[JuniperLea]

7. Heh heh! Yeah. I'll shut the internets down. Heh heh.

Then I can get a head start on my next evil plan without those moon bats talking it up and spreading the word. heh.


I just don't buy it. Anyone who is using the internet for email and research at work will be doing that from home... so what? There aren't more people doing it all of a sudden! Same number of people and same amount of internet traffic.

Nope. Not buying it.

[Botany]

8. ah computers do not get sick.

Just saying

[Minnesota Libra]

12. But the people who run the computers DO GET SICK. just saying. nt

[MADem]

9. Gee, when I fly into a PANIC, the FIRST THING I want to do is....

...work from home?????

[dipsydoodle]

23. I already work from home

so wheh I fly into a panic I go shopping.

[Renew Deal]

25. The first thing to do is post it in the Lounge.

Then you work from home. ;)

[Minnesota Libra]

10. A BIG Welcome to DU - Read this story and it raises a question.......

...but before asking my question allow me to say that I think the bird flu has been hyped way out of proportion. That having been said, the bird flu will no doubt mutate eventually.

Ok, I think it would be a good idea to plan now on how we would communicate in the event that this bird flu does mutate or any other issue shuts down the Internet. If the Internet shuts down then snail mail may not be available either so what other communication avenues are there? Ideas anyone??

[NNN0LHI]

14. I will continue the use of two-way radio as I have in the past n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. I suspect that in the grip of bird flu, the nation's internet use will

decrease, not increase.

If the government says otherwise, it is only setting up a situation where they can introduce restrictions on the net ala China. Between bird flu, child porn and terra terra, it's coming.

[dipsydoodle]

22. I guess we'd better forget

pidgeon post.

[Minnesota Libra]

27. That is just plain.....................

...cute!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[dipsydoodle]

28. My attempts

at adding emoticons always meet with dismal failure. How do you add them so successfuly?
Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Minnesota Libra]

31. When you hit the link for "reply" there is another link right.............

....above the subject line that says "Smiles lookup table". If you clink on that "Smiles lookup table" you will get a whole list of emotions. For every emotion on the left there is a code on the right. Copy that code where ever in your reply that you want the motion. The code itself is all that will show up until you hit the button at the bottom for "Post message". That is when it transforms into the emotion itself. Hope this helps.

[dipsydoodle]

33. Did it work ?

:-)

[dipsydoodle]

34. Thanks Minnesota !

Cracked it now.

[Minnesota Libra]

35. You are very welcome!!!!! nt

[gkhouston]

29. tin cans and string? n/t

[NJmaverick]

13. As an IT person in public health

This suggestion that of an internet and phone failure makes absolutely no sense what so ever. There could be some slow downs etc, but it will function just fine.

[greyl]

15. Looks like some Booz Allen Hamilton marketing

simlilar to their Y2K bs.

[tyedyeto]

16. Why would there be heavy usage?

I know when I'm sick, all I want to do is lie down and rest or sleep. I don't see those who are truly ill being online very often.

[MadHound]

20. Yes, but there are plenty of people who won't get sick

And rather than going out into the wider world and risk contracting the bird flu, they will stay home and try to work from home as best they can.

This scenario makes sense to me. If the bird flu hits, I'm staying home. Fortunately, my job is a hands on type of job, thus I wouldn't be needing to access the internet.

[deaniac21]

18. What would we do without experts?

[Marie26]

19. Booz Allen Hamilton? Again?

I'm thinking they, Halliburton, & Dyncorp are the three real branches of our government right now. God forbid if the CDC or FCC agencies had to create a report on this.

[Renew Deal]

24. The Internet will be fine.

I just don't buy it. There are too many interconnects. Traffic can be offloaded and rerouted many different ways. And I don't think we're anywhere near capacity as it is.

[Greybnk48]

26. When the SARS pandemic hit a couple of years ago

how long was it before the internet shut down? Maybe if we compared the two deadly pandemics we could get a more accurate prediction.:sarcasm:

[havocmom]

30. I like the part about Outsourcing the printing of money!

:wtf: you say? Yeppers, all part of the plan...

Heard a short bit about it on TV the other day, then...nada on the subject. Printing our money overseas? Oh, that opens the gate to a whole lotta junta sponsored trouble!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060416/ts_alt_afp/ushealthfluplan_060416162045

US plans for a bird flu epidemic include stockpiling latex gloves, minting cash overseas and working from home computers by Internet.

"... minting cash overseas..."

Like we don't have enough trouble with counterfeit currency? Isn't that something the terraist like? Counterfeit currency? :eyes:

[Beelzebud]

32. BE AFRAID