News finds way around Egyptian blockage

NEWS

While the popular satellite channel Al Jazeera has been broadcasting live footage of mass protests in Egypt, a nearly countrywide clampdown on the internet means there have been little information from people on the ground via blogs and Twitter.

Al Jazeera's English language website streams the protests in Egypt. Photo credit: Al Jazeera

Despite this, and a mobile service shutdown, Egyptians have been finding ways around the internet blockage, using old-fashioned landlines, faxes and even ham radio. Telecomix News Agency said in a post on Twitter on Friday that it has been providing dial-up modem service and that activists are receiving Morse code messages over ham radio out of Egypt.

Some Egyptians have been transmitting messages to people outside the country, who have then posted these online, according to Global Voices Online blog. Many people were posting on a special 'Jan25voices' Twitter account. "We are using phones and other means to speak with Egyptians behind the blocked internet, tweeting their words in real time," Jan25voices said on its Twitter account.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Getting news out of an unplugged Egypt on CNET News.

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Talkback

We at telecomix (mentioned in the article) need help. Please check out our irc or guide for what you can do to help egypt.http://www.telecomix.org/

handen 29 January, 2011 14:24

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