Shortwave (SW) radio bounces around the world between sea and sky, can be picked up on cheap, portable equipment and is almost impossible to jam. That’s why the BBC this week revived its SW broadcasts to Ukraine and Russia.
Why Every Radio Station Sounds the Same
Older technologies like radio may seem old-fashioned and outdated, but they still have many advantages over the internet. They are broadcast over the airwaves and all you need is a small, battery-powered box to pick them up, without the need for an internet connection or a data plan. The range of radio is much greater than that of Wi-Fi or mobile data, and while it can be blocked, it’s not practical on a nationwide scale. Russia understands the importance of free news. Last week, it attacked Kiev’s main radio and TV tower. But the BBC’s broadcasts will be harder to stop.
"Unlike streaming services, which require an internet connection and can be a big drain on a laptop's battery, radio communications typically require only a simple device like a radio tuner or CB transmitter that you can hold in your hand and typically have a long battery life," cybersecurity expert and software developer Russ Jowell told Lifewire in an email.
While the Internet was born from a distributed network designed to survive infrastructure attacks and bypass failed nodes, it doesn’t fare well against intentional blockades. China’s Great Firewall, for example, censors incoming packets, and in the past week Russia has been cut off from the global Internet.
