Broadcasting board seeks text-message services

The federal government is searching for vendors to provide cell phone messaging services for U.S.-funded news broadcasters inside closed societies, according to federal contracting officials. Such technology likely would rely on proxy mobile networks that could sustain communications when a repressive regime heightens surveillance of existing cell phone networks, or shutters social media services, say Internet freedom activists.

The effort is timely. During the weekend, Belarusian authorities allegedly tried to prohibit independent media websites and mobile devices from showing images of violence against protesters during the presidential election.

On Friday, the government-funded broadcasting service that operates Voice of America announced it is surveying the market to find out if any organizations or companies are capable of delivering text-messaging services in countries that block Internet and cell phone service. The Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency that oversees all government-backed civilian broadcasting, eventually expects to issue interested contractors a formal solicitation for such technology, according to a notice posted on theFedBizOpps.gov website.

"If an alternate network got set up, then, for the BBG, it might be a conduit through which people could send [text] alerts about what is happening," said Robert Guerra, Internet freedom program director for Freedom House, a human rights group. "If you successfully set up a mobile network it would allow people to tune in to the broadcast through their phone."

Since the Cold War, the board's broadcasters have been enhancing their technology to transmit in countries that ban independent media. Today, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty uses the Internet, text messaging, satellite radio, the social networking website Facebook and messaging service Twitter to deliver uncensored news to 21 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia.

By conducting a survey, "we are exploring ways of enhancing our distribution networks," board spokeswoman Letitia King said on Monday. "This is another delivery platform. This is another avenue for providing our news and information from our family of broadcasters."

According to Friday's announcement, the anticipated solicitation would seek a vendor to provide the licenses, permits, labor, supervision and tools necessary to roll out the cell phone messaging overseas. This would be a one-year, firm fixed-price contract.

The board wants a vendor to provide, among other things, a Web-based application for managing a subscriber database; on-demand transmission of bulk messaging to an unlimited number of recipients; templates for preparing messages; an inbox for receiving replies to messages sent by BBG; multiple user accounts with financial controls; and automated managed subscriber opt-in/opt-out capability.

The biggest challenge to propping up alternative mobile infrastructures likely would be securing the closed networks against potential threats, according to industry members. In addition, suppliers could confront legal obstacles to erecting cell phone towers because of varying international regulations and licensing restrictions.

Guerra said optional workarounds include large cell phone towers with tremendous range and micro cell phone networks with a very small radius that one could turn on and off very quickly.

"In Iran, anything by default seems to be illegal there, so something that is small is better," he noted. "You can turn it on in a car, turn it off and then leave and they won't be able to catch you in time."

Board-funded broadcasters currently employ a host of advanced technologies and new media services to circumvent media restrictions in oppressive regimes. Via shortwave, medium wave, satellite transmissions and the Internet, Radio Free Asia airs daily in nine languages to listeners in China, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma. Earlier this month, Burmese opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate recently freed from years of house-arrest, began participating in a weekly show where she answers questions e-mailed by listeners of Radio Free Asia and VOA's Burmese services.

Alhurra Television airs Arabic-language programming to 21 countries throughout the Middle East on the so-called Nilesat and Arabsat satellite systems. Radio and TV Martí reaches people in Cuba through a special satellite system that transmits directly to individuals via inexpensive home receivers, a modified aircraft, VHF and UHF frequencies, and DirecTV satellite. Still, the programming is susceptible to Cuban government jamming, as well as press censorship and intimidation, according to board officials.