Well, I really think I’m encouraging unnecessary paranoia here, but if you’re really concerned about this, then the phone system (landline and cellular) would be even easier to control as those networks are managed by an even smaller number of entities. (And I’ll miss a bet if the government doesn’t already have similar emergency control capabilities over them). Just think about those Emergency Broadcast System tests you hear on radio and TV...when the “balloon goes up” all forms of broadcasting will go under government control, and I suspect there are provisions to control and allocate telephone resources also. Of course VoIP is just another form of data that is transported via the internet.
The solution? Technology that doesn’t rely on infrastructure (i.e. landlines, satellite links, cell towers, etc), i.e. high frequency (shortwave) radio. Same thing that the military still uses, for the same reason. Licensed Amateur (Ham) Radio is the legal option, bootlegging is the illegal one. Radios capable of nationwide+ coverage are the size of a laptop, cost under $1000 and can operate from 12 volt power sources, for example. Or one could buy time on commercial shortwave stations that have international coverage, although getting the programming to them would be subject to all the same constraints. (Check out “Free Speech Radio WBCQ” for example).
In a doomsday scenario (nuclear war, EMP, superflu, etc) that one way or another renders conventional communications systems inoperable or unavaialble (God forbid that should ever happen) - shortwave radio will be the one means of long-distance communication that will still work.
Not so. The federal govt has had the power to seize control of the telephone network ...at least since I joined Naval communications in 1977.
The Defense Communications Agency was empowered to seize ma Bell infrastructure upon Presidential Directive. There's a cold-war law on the books somewhere that allows it.
We drilled for it. Had DETAILED op plans.
whoa...this is sounding like a prelude to the Iranian nitemare with no communications out.