Booz Allen Hamilton paints a general, but still sobering, picture of life during a pandemic. You can read the 8-page report Influenza Pandemic Simulation: Implications for the Public and Private Sectors for all the gory details relating to last-mile food distribution by the military, priority of medical treatment and conscription of the recovered for essential jobs. The vision is vague, but here’s what it says about the Internet and telecommunications:
Telecommunications will likely be overwhelmed early in the pandemic. Some experts speculated that the Internet could shut down within two to four days of the outbreak. This implies that government and businesses must coordinate and plan for the use of alternative communications channels--and telecommuting will not be a viable option. A method of prioritizing Internet access would be needed to allow key organizations and individuals to access information and communicate necessary actions.
It’s funny in a way. I understood that the nation couldn’t afford to have a ventilator (or maybe even medication) available for every person who might need it in the event of a virulent flu outbreak. I never thought that there wouldn’t be enough bandwidth for all the people who wanted to work.
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