FREE INTERNET?

Who has ever dreamed of such a thing as free internet access? I mean get real! Free? Internet? That’s like free milk, who has ever heard of such a thing?

Well, I am here to sing the praises of MCI’s “SkyTel” division out of Gulfport, Mississippi. SkyTel is the very company that has provided 100% of the bandwidth that has been used by Radio Response to serve all the locations that have been and all that are still connected today. SkyTel allowed Radio Response volunteers to climb their tower at their POP (point of presence) close to the Gulf in Gulfport, hang gear on it and provide free bandwidth to us for almost a year now. The only catch they put on the bandwidth is that we had to do what we do for free. That was not a problem! 

Every phone call that was made from S. Mississippi from one of our VoIP phones, every FEMA form that was filled out, every email that was sent, every photo that was sent into and out of the Katrina ravaged area was sent over a free internet connection supplied by MCI/SkyTel. My words can’t describe how grateful all of us at Radio Response are. That free bandwidth made everything we did possible.

I can remember trying for days to find somewhere to buy bandwidth in the hurricane area with no luck. I had already worked out a deal with a college in S. Louisiana to utilize their roof to get a wireless shot to the Louisiana State line and then from there to an undetermined place to make yet another hop on into Waveland. When the phone call came in to me that MCI/SkyTel was willing to donate bandwidth and tower space - - I was so relieved that I can’t explain my emotions.

This FREE bandwidth continues to flow out of MCI/Skytel’s POP today and it is still serving the workers in S. Mississippi at no charge. I guess there is such a thing as free bandwidth for some of us - - but make no mistakes - - it is not free to MCI/SkyTel. There is a cost associated with everything in life and some one foots the bill for everything. It seems to me that those of us who utilized that bandwidth for phones, data, emails or surfing owe MCI/SkyTel a big THANKS.

THANKS MCI/SKYTEL

Gratefully,
Mac Dearman

I am proud to announce a successful handoff of the Radio Response network to a company out of Greenville, Texas. T1 International had been in place and working in Bay St Louis and Waveland Mississippi since a couple months after Katrina. I owe Steve Giltner of T1 International and big handshake and a hug as he and his crew really started troubleshooting our network many months before we actually handed the network off and thus it created a seamless transition from Radio Response to T1 International.

T1 International (www.t1international.net) not only took the network over, but agreed to and signed a contract to continue supplying High Speed internet connections, maintain what we had in place and troubleshoot the current networks at no charge to the volunteer agencies connected as long as MCI/Skytel provided free bandwidth

. These are some great people and a great company. To top off all that they have already done – they also donated $25,000.00 to future disaster relief!! WOW – Thanks T1 International!! Not only have you made a difference in the Katrina efforts, but you have secured a starting point for us in future events.

The actual handoff date was July 3rd, but due to my ignorance and bad brain – I forgot the password to this site! All of you forgive me!!! It took Curt Shaffer to tell me what my password was this morning. Thanks Curt

The contact information for T1 International is:

PO Box 652
Greenville, Texas 75403
Phone: 903-269-2120
Fax: 214-279-0012
E-Mail: info@t1international.com

Many Thanks,
Mac Dearman

I would like to say a special THANKS to USM, its interns and staff at USM for their “life saving” support at a point in time that was critical for Radio Response. Wayne Walters, Asst. Prof. at Univ. of Southern Mississippi’s School of Computing managed to supply us with an intern for each of the semesters that we have been in S. Mississippi. These men were not only willing, but both interns Matt Justice and Peyton Gwinn were more than capable of up keeping that wireless infrastructure as well as the many networks that were attached. Neither of the two interns knew much about wireless when they came on board, but after finding themselves alone in the wireless world of wonders - - they soon had everything figured out and began making improvements to the individual networks.

Prof. Wayne Walters hasn’t a clue as to what he supplied us in these men. Radio Response had long ran out of volunteer labor and Sharon and myself had been trying to keep up our own personal commercial wireless network (www.inetsouth.com) and drive to Southern Mississippi on Fridays – work through Sunday and then drive back home on Sunday night. I hate to say it, but we were at the end of what we could do. We were fretting over how we were going to handle shutting down the network that so many had come to rely on. I had told Sharon that we would let it run on its on and as folks went down - - they were down for the count as we wouldn’t make that drive but once a month. The drive back and forth of 4.5 hours (one way) was getting to be dangerous as we were driving it early mornings and late nights.

The people of Southern Mississippi owe the University of Southern Mississippi a big thanks for stepping up to the plate and not only serving - - but serving with some of the most educated and well rounded men in their arsenal.

They served with their very best – and I THANK YOU!!

Sincerely,
Mac Dearman

I would like to thank the many vendors/manufacturers of all the wireless gear and network materials that were donated during the height of our deployment in both North Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. It is a fact that we could not have managed to help very many without the generous donations of wireless gear from the fine folks at Trango Broadband (www.trangobroadband.com) PacWireless (www.pacwireless.com) as well as Nuvio (www.nuvio.com) for the Voip gear. The vendors above were the major contributors who undertook the majority of the expense to supply us with what we have used. KUDOS to these companies for having a heart of gold, compassion for their fellow man and the willingness to give! This is not the only vendors who assisted us - please see http://www.radioresponse.org/wordpress/?page_id=12 for a more complete list.

I would like to mention that the above vendors/manufacturers (Trango & PacWireless) of the antennas and wireless radios shipped all of their donated gear overnight at no cost to Radio Response. These two manufacturers donated so much for so long that I was ashamed to call and ask for anything else. I did call and they did donate everything that we had a need for. These Companies deserve all the recognition we can give them as they are absolutely great companies who care about more than their bottom line!

Pacific Wireless – Many Many Thanks!

Trango Broadband – My hat is off to you!

If we can ever be of service – you have my numbers

Sincerely,
Mac Dearman

I would like to Thank the many volunteers of Radio Response who unselfishly donated time, money and labor to the relief efforts that were made after hurricane Katrina. Make no mistakes that this effort has been a tremendous service to very many of the affected population in Southern Mississippi and almost every volunteer relief agency working in the hurricane stricken zone from Gulfport to the Louisiana State line.

I want the entire world to know that you men are greatest group of folks I have ever known in my entire life. I have no doubt that I will never meet another group of men like y’all (and hope that I never see those circumstances again) the rest of my days. Each one of you have a heart of gold and contain the compassion of many people all bundled up into one. It really has restored my faith in humanity to see so many put themselves out to throw in a helping hand. I saw the sacrifices made by each of you and I also saw the tears of so many of you in S. Mississippi. I also think back to all the nights around the camp fires as well as the camaraderie that was shared.

We will all have tales to tell about our experiences we shared, but the greatest thing I could ever share about all that has taken place - - is all about you!

You men know my heart and I know you remember me telling each of you at one point or another (as I hugged your neck) that I loved ya. I have no shame in expressing those sentiments to the GREATEST MEN I HAVE EVER KNOWN!

Who are these men? www.radioresponse.org/volunteers

Many Thanks & God Bless,
Mac & Sharon Dearman