Special to The Leader
The Orange Leader
September 14, 2008 06:16 pm
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HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2008 — AT&T has mobilized significant resources to repair damage from Hurricane Ike, to attempt to maintain network services in areas without commercial power, and support evacuees.
600 technicians from as far away as Wisconsin and Minnesota moved into the area as the hurricane passed, and have begun assessing damage and restoring service. They will supplement the existing more than 1,400 technicians already in place in the area.
The company’s core network supporting wireless and wireline services continues to perform well. Only two of the 154 central offices in the affected area – one on Galveston Island and a small central office in Port Bolivar – are out of service. The company’s video hub office for AT&T U-verseTM services is operational.
Although high winds and rain affected hundreds of wireless sites, particularly on Galveston Island, the majority of sites in the impacted areas are operational. Portable cell towers have been deployed to supplement coverage in damaged areas. Included in that deployment are three portable cell towers on Galveston Island to assist state and local emergency workers.
Hundreds of neighborhood terminals for wired voice, data and entertainment services are without commercial power and are operating on battery or generator backup.
2,800 generators have been moved into affected areas to power facilities and recharge batteries, and trucks have been deployed to refuel generators. More generators are en route to the affected areas from other locations across the country. But maintaining power to all affected parts of the network remains a significant challenge.
Evacuee Support:
To help evacuees stay in touch with family and friends, AT&T is enabling free Wi-Fi access at hundreds of hot spots in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, including at select McDonald's restaurants, Barnes & Noble locations, and AT&T Experience StoresSM.
The company also is providing free services at primary evacuation shelters in San Antonio, Dallas and Tyler, Texas, including:
• Wired telephone lines with free local and long distance calling;
• AT&T High Speed Internet Service;
• Charging stations for wireless phones; and
• AT&T | DISH Network digital satellite television service so evacuees can access news and entertainment during their stay.
Tips for Affected People:
AT&T reminds evacuees to make sure they have a plan for staying in contact with family if separated, keep their wireless phone batteries charged, and forward their home phone number to their wireless number. Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at www.att.com/vitalconnections.
AT&T also encourages residents to use wireless text/short messaging service (SMS) whenever possible. During an emergency situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls because they require less network resource. All of AT&T’s wireless devices should be text messaging capable. Users of wireless data devices such as Apple iPhones or Blackberry ® smartphones can use messaging capabilities to communicate. Depending on the customer’s calling plan, additional charges may apply.
Residents without power can use the AT&T Real Yellow Pages to find emergency contacts, severe weather guides and thousands of local businesses for home repair, tree removal and other needs.
What You Can Do:
AT&T encourages its customers to send $5 donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by sending a text message from their mobile phones. A customer simply types the keyword GIVE to 2HELP (24357). A confirmation message will arrive in a few minutes, and the customer then replies YES to confirm the donation.
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