[NLnet Press] NLnet funds disaster zone phone software

[NLnet foundation press list]

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NLnet funds disaster zone phone software
"Austrialian researchers help phones talk among each other directly"

                                        Thursday, April 14 2011

      (also available at: http://nlnet.nl/press/20110414-serval.html)

Software developed by Australian Flinders University's Dr Paul
Gardner-Stephen which enables mobile phones to communicate during a
disaster will be freely available to the public by the end of the year
thanks to the support of the Netherlands based NLnet Foundation.

The Serval BatPhone software can be used on compatible mobile phone
handsets to create an alternative "network" where conventional mobile
phone coverage has been destroyed or simply does not exist.
Instead of relying on mobile phone towers, the Serval system relays
calls for one mobile phone to another as either a "closed" network or to
connect to a temporary tower.

Dr Gardner-Stephen, Research Fellow (Rural, Remote and Humanitarian
Telecommunications) at Flinders School of Computer Science, Engineering
and Mathematics in Adelaide (Australia), said NLnet?s contribution of
about AUD 40,000 would be a significant boost for his Serval Project team.

"We are delighted to receive the support of the NLnet Foundation, an
organisation dedicated to supporting ventures and people that contribute
to an open information society," Dr Gardner-Stephen said.
"We currently have seven Flinders and INSA Telecommunications exchange
students developing the Serval BatPhone software. They are getting
valuable, real-world experience as they work on this integrated and
substantial humanitarian software engineering project," he said.
"NLnet?s support will go towards project management and senior developer
resources to more effectively manage the team?s coordinated efforts."

"It?s a significant step towards our goal of making Serval BatPhone
freely available in a first public release later this year."

Valer Mischenko, NLnet?s director said mobile communication have become
an inescapable part of our lives.

"Unfortunately, existing systems relying exclusively on commercial
operators' networks can neither be called reliable enough, such as in
disaster situations, nor secure enough, such as in circumstances of
changing political situation - and they are not legally sustainable, as
they are easily prone to various forms of cyber attack," Mr Mischenko said.

"One may call the Serval system ?an operator-less mobile network?, which
can take over when operators' networks fail for one reason or another.
We are very glad with such initiatives which help to implement our
mission and make networks based communication reliable and trustworthy,"
he said.

"NLnet Foundation sponsors tens of bigger and smaller networking
technology related projects every year. The results of these projects
are all open and can be freely used for further development of the
technology."

About NLnet Foundation

NLnet Foundation is a widely respected private charity fund supporting
developments of networking technology worldwide, and has over the years
actively contributed to (internet) standards, open source projects and
subsidiary or enabling activities such as the development of GPLv3.
NLnet Foundation's means came initially from interest on a substantial
own capital formed in 1997 by the sale of the first Dutch Internet
Service Provider. Its private capital ensures an absolute independent
position. The articles of association for the NLnet Foundation state:
"to promote the exchange of electronic information and all that is
related or beneficial to that purpose". At any moment, dozens of
projects are being supported worldwide.

                                                   http://nlnet.nl

About the Serval project

Communicate anywhere, any time ? without infrastructure, without mobile
towers, without satellites, without wifi hotspots, and without carriers.
Use existing off-the-shelf mobile cell phone handsets. Use your existing
mobile phone number wherever you go to talk to people near you, without
paying roaming charges.

Serval enables mobile communications no matter what your circumstance:
mobile communications in the face of disaster, in the face of poverty,
in the face of isolation, in the face of civil unrest, or in the face of
network black-spots. In short, Serval provides resilient mobile
communications for all people, anywhere in the universe.

                                      http://www.servalproject.org

- -----------------------------
Not for publication:

This press release is also available at:

http://nlnet.nl/press/20110414-serval.html

Further information:

Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia
Tel: +61 427 679 796

Peter Gill
Tel:	+61 8 8201 2092
Mobile:  +61 417 784 044

Michiel Leenaars
NLnet foundation
Tel: +31 6 27050947
SIP/XMPP/mail: michiel [at] nlnet.nl
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