[liberationtech] Can HAM radio be used for communication between health workers in rural areas with no cell connectivity?

[ITechGeek]

Depends on what information you might be transmitting and the specific
laws of the local country/countries involved.

HAMs have to be licensed through the local countries licensing
authority (in the case of the US would be the FCC).

Under US you could probably get away with allowing them to coordinate
if it is non-profit in nature, but you would not be able to discuss
any medical information that would allow a third party to possibly
identify the patient.

And some countries are very restrictive on who can get HAM licenses
due to the potential to get around their propaganda controls.  Also
rules can change based on frequencies being used cause lower
frequencies can transmit further.

Can you provide the country or countries involved?

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On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 8:07 PM, Yosem Companys <companys at stanford.edu> wrote:
> From: Dr. Tusharkanti Dey <dr.tusharkantidey at gmail.com>
>
> Dear All,
>
> I am proposing to set up a ICT based health project in tribal areas with poor infrastructural facilities with poor cell phone connectivity due to unstable signal strengths. i have learnt that HAM radio software from HamSphere is downloadable on android phones.I would like to know whether these android phones with HAM radio software installed can be used for communication used for voice communication between health workers themselves and with head quarter staff. Will it be legally permissible and what technical requirements will be needed to set up such system. The other alternative of setting up of mobile signal boosters or long distance WiFi hubs are currently not affordable to our limited resource organisation
>
> Thanks,
> Dr.Tusharkanti Dey
> --
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