09/12/2024

A new and faster way to communicate during emergencies is being planned by the
Utah Section of the ARRL¨ Amateur Radio Emergency Service¨ (ARES¨) group, which
serves Salt Lake County, the most populous area in Utah.

ARRL Utah Section Public Information Coordinator Scott Rosenbush, K7HSR, said
that discussion and planning for mesh networks using AREDN[1] (Amateur Radio
Emergency Data Network) technology is on the drawing board.

A recent meeting and presentation by Brett Pruitt, K7BDP, Utah Section
Emergency Coordinator, was attended by a large group of ARES amateur radio
operators. More than a dozen Salt Lake County hams have already invested in
AREDN technology with an interest in helping to create and support an emergency
mesh network in the county. Southern Utah ARES groups have already created a
five-county mesh network that can be used for emergency communications.

"We hope to ultimately connect to STARLINK[2] and run the mesh network over
that," said Pruitt. "On November 2, we will have an exercise with hospitals in
the northern and southern Utah ARES groups using the regular internet. After
that, if STARLINK is more readily available, we will run the drill again
without the internet to fully test the new technology." Pruitt said the goal is
to have everything working by early 2025.

"The needs of participating agencies have evolved to require more than analog
voice and low-speed data modes," said Rosenbush. High-speed mesh networks using
AREDN software will allow amateur radio to play a larger role in supporting
these agencies in emergencies."

The Utah Section is working to extend this technology, said Rosenbush. "Our
hope is to bring this technology to other parts of the state to increase the
communications capability and value of amateur radio to partner agencies."


[1] https://www.arednmesh.org/#:~:text=New20Production20Available.20production20version

[2] https://www.starlink.com/


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