Ham radio volunteers help re-establish communications after Katrina
Some 700 operators are already at work, with more on the way
T-Mobile News
Aug. 30, 2005 - In response to the disaster, T-Mobile USA Inc. in Bellevue, Wash., announced that it will provide free Wi-Fi access to mobile computer users in many of its 66 HotSpot locations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Sept. 2. The service will be offered in all HotSpot sites that have reopened after the storm, including sites in Borders Books and Music stores, FedEx Kinko's, Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels, Red Roof Inn motels and in American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways clubs and lounges.
The free service is intended for those who have been displaced from their homes or are seeking refuge from the hurricane, according to T-Mobile. A complete listing of T-Mobile HotSpot locations in these states is available online.
Click Here for T-Mobile Hot Spots
Cingular News:
Aug. 30, 2005 - More than 100 teams of Cingular recovery technicians are on standby and hundreds of additional personnel are waiting in Florida and Georgia to move in when conditions improve.
In an announcement yesterday, Cingular said its network remained almost fully operational in Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., Lafayette, La., and throughout much of Mississippi. The company was experiencing minimal disruptions in Jackson, Miss., Baton Rouge and Mobile, with backup generators being used to power equipment as needed.
Most disruptions to the Cingular network are in New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss. The company said it has more than 500 emergency generators and fuel crews on hand in both Mobile and Lafayette to help keep the emergency systems operating.
Both Verizon and Cingular are reminding customers that sending short text messages over the cell phone network uses fewer resources, and those messages are more likely to get through than phone calls during periods of reduced service.
Cell Operators Restore Some Network Service In New Orleans
September 8, 2005 Source IDG News Service
By Saturday, T-Mobile had opened a cellular telephone site on top of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Astor on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. That site plus several others in the area are providing coverage in the French Quarter, the convention center, the Superdome and the airport in New Orleans. T-Mobile technicians have been able to enter the city and work on cell sites under the escort of the U.S. National Guard.
Yesterday, Verizon Wireless said it was offering only limited coverage in central New Orleans but had restored service at the airport and areas southwest of the city. Technicians are preparing to be escorted into the city center to work on repairing the company's network there, Verizon said.
Cingular Wireless LLC has crews on the ground in New Orleans, where some calls are being supported, albeit at reduced levels. Sprint Nextel Corp., meanwhile, called the situation in New Orleans "tenuous" due to the challenges from continued flooding and other safety issues.
Many of the operators have deployed cell sites on wheels, mobile cell sites that can be quickly moved into an area to either boost network capacity or extend service to uncovered regions. Cingular is using 30 cells on wheels, and Verizon has almost 20 in the region.
T-Mobile's New Orleans switching facility operated throughout the hurricane and continues to support calls. After the deadly hurricane hit on Aug. 29, T-Mobile airlifted supplies, technicians and fuel with the help of local law enforcement to keep the switch up and running.
Many of the operators are also donating or loaning cell phones to emergency workers as well as to local residents in an effort to support relief efforts and help reunite families.
T-Mobile, Cingular and Verizon are all offering free phone calls to people affected by the hurricane at their retail locations. Sprint Nextel said it will soon offer details of its pricing and billing policy for people in the region.
Bell South Damage at $600m
September 7, 2005 Source: Network World
BellSouth Corp. says the cost of damage to its network from Hurricane Katrina could reach $600 million.
The carrier, which serves a nine-state region in the Southeast -- including the hurricane-ravaged states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama -- said it lost 810,000 lines, roughly half of the 1.7 million lines BellSouth has in service in the area. BellSouth also said 19 of the 131 central offices in the Gulf Coast area were disabled.
Those 19 central offices serve 187,000 access lines, 166,000 of which are in the devastated city of New Orleans. Restoration plans for those central offices are now in development, BellSouth said.
Service to most customers will be restored within 30 days, the carrier said, though some communities may take longer to restore, depending on when residents and businesses are able to return to those areas and the time needed to rebuild local infrastructure.
Ham radio volunteers help re-establish communications after Katrina
Some 700 operators are already at work, with more on the way
ATLANTA, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ --
Cingular Opens Free Calling Stations at Open Retail Stores
Cingular Wireless has set up free emergency calling stations at its open company-owned retail stores across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to help the many individuals and families who are without power and phone service due to Hurricane Katrina.
Free phone calls to friends and family anywhere in the United States can be made at Cingular stores during normal store hours. The calling stations are available to anyone who simply needs to use a phone.
The company has also set up a free mobile calling station at the Cajundome in Lafayette where thousands of evacuees are being housed.
All Cingular stores will offer free calls as they open.
Recovery Efforts Begin to Yield Results:
Cingular Wireless continues to work around the clock to restore service as quickly as possible in areas affected by Katrina.
Emergency restoration crews have begun cell site and facility surveys in accessible areas to determine what actions need to be taken to restore service. Actions include: back-up generator placement and refueling, equipment repair, determination of COW/COLT (portable cell sites) dispatch. The impacted cell sites are mainly due to the extensive commercial power outages throughout the region.
Debris and extensive flooding continue to hinder restoration efforts in the hardest hits areas. However, in areas where access is permitted and it is safe to do so, Cingular's recovery technicians have been dispatched.
Sept 5/Internet becomes bulletin board for Katrina victims/Reuters
Craigslist.com and Nola.com are among the sites people are turning to for information
After 9/11, descriptions and photos of missing family, friends and co-workers were plastered on walls and bulletin boards in lower Manhattan. But with New Orleans largely deserted after Hurricane Katrina, the Internet has become the medium of choice for those seeking lost loved ones.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported at least 20 oil rigs or platforms missing in the Gulf of Mexico, while officials estimated 95 percent of regional oil and natural gas production and eight refineries along the coast remained shut down.
Aug 31/CINGULAR Network Status
/PRNewswire/ --
- Most of the network disruptions in Alabama are in the Mobile area.
Disruptions in Mississippi are mainly in Jackson, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Hattiesburg, Gulfport and Brookhaven. Some customers are still able to send and receive calls in these affected areas but at significantly reduced levels.
- The most significant service impact has been in New Orleans, as expected. Access to the city continues to be restricted by city officials due to the extensive flooding and hazardous conditions.
Until the city can be accessed, Cingular is maximizing power/capacity at every active cell site -- located mainly on rooftops.
- Throughout the affected areas, network congestion may be an issue and the company encourages customers to keep non-emergency calls to a minimum and to use text messaging as an alternate means of communications.