Codebreaker

U.S. military can put a country back online

John Moe Feb 7, 2011

In the event a government shuts down its country’s internet again, the U.S. military has a way to force the country back online again. But, according to a military futurist, “It could be considered an act of war.” Wired has the story, and there are lots of different ways to bring the internet back to people who have been cut off – attach cell pods to drones, send signals from ships, smuggle satellite dishes in.

From Wired:

The U.S. military has no shortage of devices — many of them classified — that could restore connectivity to a restive populace cut off from the outside world by its rulers. It’s an attractive option for policymakers who want an option for future Egypts, between doing nothing and sending in the Marines. And it might give teeth to the Obama administration’s demand that foreign governments consider internet access an inviolable human right.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.