Designing Networks for Large-Scale Blackout Circumvention

Shaddi Hasan

EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley

Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2013-230

December 19, 2013

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http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/Archive/EECS-2013-230.pdf

Large-scale communications blackouts, such as those carried out by Egypt and Libya in 2011 and Syria in 2012 and 2013, have motivated a series of projects that aim to enable citizens to communicate even in the face of such heavy-handed censorship efforts. A common theme across these proposals has been the use of wireless mesh networks. We argue that such networks are poorly equipped to serve as a meaningful countermeasure against large-scale blackouts due to their intrinsically poor scaling properties. We further argue that projects in this space must consider safety of both users and network operators as a first-order design priority. From these two insights, we frame a definition of dissent networks to capture the essential requirements for blackout circumvention solutions.

Advisors: Eric Brewer

BibTeX citation:

@mastersthesis{Hasan:EECS-2013-230,
    Author= {Hasan, Shaddi},
    Title= {Designing Networks for Large-Scale Blackout Circumvention},
    School= {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year= {2013},
    Month= {Dec},
    Url= {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/EECS-2013-230.html},
    Number= {UCB/EECS-2013-230},
    Abstract= {Large-scale communications blackouts, such as those carried out by Egypt and Libya in 2011 and Syria in 2012 and 2013, have motivated a series of projects that aim to enable citizens to communicate even in the face of such heavy-handed censorship efforts. A common theme across these proposals has been the use of wireless mesh networks. We argue that such networks are poorly equipped to serve as a meaningful countermeasure against large-scale blackouts due to their intrinsically poor scaling properties. We further argue that projects in this space must consider safety of both users and network operators as a first-order design priority. From these two insights, we frame a definition of dissent networks to capture the essential requirements for blackout circumvention solutions.},
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Thesis
%A Hasan, Shaddi 
%T Designing Networks for Large-Scale Blackout Circumvention
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 2013
%8 December 19
%@ UCB/EECS-2013-230
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/EECS-2013-230.html
%F Hasan:EECS-2013-230