ABSTRACT
The attack on September 11, 2001 brought a new awareness of the utility of mobile communications in times of emergency. It also brought to attention two things that had been largely overlooked in the rush to promote the use of mobile phones: the frailty of wireless networks and the limited assistance that they can offer in emergencies. Most of the subsequent discussion since has focused on questions about the reliability of the systems in their ability to work when congested and when relay stations have been damaged or destroyed. However, neither before nor to a significant degree since has there been much focus on the other central problem: How can the content of communications over mobile networks contribute to solving problems in emergencies?
