Mark wrote:
Oh well, let's just see how the power companies will want to
stand behind & push BPL if there is another 9/11 or WHEN other natural
or man-made disasters strike & emergency communications becomes the
real joke.

You underestimate the stupidity of mankind.
I remember a SHARES emergency communications test of
government HF communications a few years ago.
We couldn't raise one "hub" station in California,
needed to pass some traffic. So I called him.

"How come ya'll aren't on the air?"
"What the h**l do we need that for?
We've all got cell phones...."