Operation Connect Carolina

We apologize that this update has taken a little while. We’ve been working hard in the background, and there are a few things that we’d like to share: ? All of the hardware is in place and ready to go, and we have 4 units ready to deploy. A number of people helped with the build of these systems, which you can see below. ? We’re still trying to source Starlink units in order to build more units - that’s the primary factor limiting our ability to build more systems ? We have faced some challenges with the mobile core software, which has resulted in a setback in our delivery estimates ? Aaron and the engineers have been working day and night (remember, this is a global effort!) to get these systems running reliably - the last thing we want is to send things that don’t work to a place where they really need to work ? We’ve heard from volunteers who were just in Western North Carolina that things are still really rough in many places and that the need for communications is very real and currently unmet Designing and building new communications systems is not like building a computer or putting together a wi-fi network - it's far more complex and challenging - but everyone who’s actively involved in the project is working tirelessly to make it work. We knew we’d face obstacles along this journey, but are committed to following through on our mission to restore Internet connectivity to as many places in Western NC that need it as possible.

UPDATE: TL;DR - Our first systems go out on Thursday!! More details below. We've been quiet on the socials today but ultra-busy in the background! Our engineering team has been hard at work building, testing, troubleshooting, and debugging the systems to get them up and running reliably. This is an incredible team effort, spanning continents (Cumucore, who provided the 5G packet core, is based in Finland) and incorporating many hours of voluntary effort from multiple brilliant engineering minds. As any engineer knows, putting together a production-ready system in four days* is an incredible feat, and we want to thank everyone involved for their tireless, selfless contributions. We will post an update in the future that highlights these individuals working behind the scenes to make the technical portion of this initiative succeed. Huge thanks to Beverly Tan and Ecovate 3D for STEPing up to help (sorry, couldn't resist!) with 3D printing the Starlink antenna mounts and Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) for their partnership and support. The photo is one of our volunteers, LoyCurtis Smith 'Tetrising' various components that form our Rapid-Deploy Connectivity Hubs into its enclosure to figure out their ideal locations. Thanks, Curtis! * We received the base stations on October 4 #5G #connectivity #hurricanehelene #disasterrecovery #3dprinting

The amazing team from Kymeta Corporation brought some goodies to help us in our efforts! These commercial-grade satellite communications terminals will enable us to get reliable broadband Internet capabilities, which we will then beam out via cellular signals using our Rapid-Deploy Connectivity Hubs. One of the coolest parts of the story is that the technology behind Kymeta’s products was developed right here in Durham, N.C. at Duke University! Thank you again, Chris and Mark Garretson ! #5G #hurricanehelene #internet #connectivity

Video update! Aaron Huslage provides a behind-the-scenes look at how we're building the mobile 5G systems that will be deployed in the field in Western North Carolina. A big thank you to the American Underground in downtown Durham, NC for providing us with the space to build and test these systems! #5G #hurricanehelene #disasterrecovery #northcarolina

Systems are being tested right now! #5g #disasterrecovery MosoLabs Cumucore RiPSIM Technologies

Our first video update - funds we've raised, donations we've received, ruggedized/MIL-spec communications gift, and more!

We're just shy of hitting the $5,000 mark! Would you consider making a contribution to help us get there? Every $5,000 we raise enables us to fund one communications system! Unlock that level and we’ll share some amazing news with you! #hurricanehelene #5g #disasterrecovery

Our first shipment of MosoLabs base stations have arrived!! These units will enable us to create cellular networks that enable people to connect to the Internet. #hurricanehelene #5g #connectivity #northcarolina #disasterrecovery

WRAL featured us in a segment focusing on our efforts to restore connectivity in Western North Carolina. Thank you to Monica Casey and the WRAL team for covering our initiative! https://lnkd.in/eRjF9n4d

Our first set of MosoLabs #5G Base Stations are on their way. Thanks to our technical partners Cumucore and RiPSIM Technologies we should be deploying our systems in the coming days. We currently need: - Starlink dishes #HurricaneHelene #DisasterRelief cc/ Cee Ng, Kimberly Engh, Brandon Hoe ?????, Kim Pham