Communications Independence
When cellular and internet fail, how does your family communicate?
Why this pillar matters
Commercial communications infrastructure fails exactly when emergencies occur: cellular towers overload, internet goes down, and power outages take out both simultaneously. A family with only one communications pathway has a single point of failure at the moment communication is most critical. We evaluate whether your household has genuine independent communications capability across satellite, radio, and analog contingency.
What we evaluate
The five specific areas assessed within this pillar.
Satellite internet terminal: portable capability, monthly testing
Ham radio: licensing, long-range radio equipment, operating proficiency
Satellite communicators: device assignment, usage protocol, regular testing
Family radio network: GMRS licensing, channel plan, vehicle and rapid deployment kit deployment
Analog contingency plan: written contacts, check-in schedules, rally points, no-device protocols
What your score means
After completing the questionnaire, your Communications Independence score falls into one of five bands. Here is what each level indicates.
Critical (0–19)
Entirely dependent on commercial infrastructure. A cellular or internet outage would leave your family completely dark.
At Risk (20–39)
Limited backup capability. One or two gaps mean you cannot communicate independently across the range of likely disruption scenarios.
Developing (40–59)
Some redundancy in place but your communication system has gaps: satellite, radio, or analog contingency needs development.
Prepared (60–79)
You have more than one way to reach each other and a sense of what fails first. The step up is redundancy that's been tested: a plan that works when the primary network doesn't, known to everyone who'd need it.
Resilient (80–100)
Full communications independence: satellite internet, licensed radio, satellite communicators, family radio network, and analog backup.
Free resources for this area
- Emergency alerts on your phone (Ready.gov)
How the emergency alerts on your phone work, and the free alert apps worth adding.
ready.gov - NOAA Weather Radio
Station list and the codes that make a weather radio alert for your county only.
weather.gov - NWS Peachtree City
The forecast office for North Georgia.
weather.gov - FEMA app
Alerts for up to five locations and disaster resources.
fema.gov - Amateur radio licence: FCC and ARRL
The Technician licence path, study materials and exam finder.
arrl.org - Find a local amateur radio club (ARRL)
The national directory of clubs that run licence classes and emergency communications teams.
arrl.org
Free Assessment
See where you stand across all eight pillars.
The 40-question assessment is free, takes about 12 minutes, and delivers a scored report to your inbox immediately.
Take the Assessment