Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Nets Deal With Isabel's Spell

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 22:54:09 -0400

Wireless Nets Deal With Isabel's Spell 

By Karen Brown
September 19, 2003
news@2 direct

Hurricane Isabel's invasion of the Eastern seaboard may be wrecking havoc with
flooding and high winds, but for the most part cellular networks have been able to
stand up to the storm with only minimal service outages.

Thus far, Verizon Wireless' network has borne the impact of the storm well,
according to spokeswoman Andrea Linskey. 

In eastern Virginia, there were reports of commercial power outages, but affected
cell sites have been switched over to back-up power, she said. Many of the sites
also are equipped with generators, which can supply power longer than the average
eight-hour supply time for back-up batteries, Linskey added.

"So we are in good shape," she said. 'We have had some reduction in capacity, but
nothing substantial. Our call volumes are also down, obviously -- it seems that
people have left the area."

Power outages across Virginia and North Carolina did affect a number of Sprint PCS
sites, according to spokesman Tom Matthews. That included Richmond, Norfolk and
Virginia Beach, Va., and Raleigh, N.C. The area of Sprint's network hardest hit
was the Norfolk area, according to the company. Sprint was moving portable
generators into the area today to shore up the power supply to affected cell
sites.

As with Verizon, many of Sprint's cell sites do have generators and all have
back-up battery capacity. 

"There have been sporadic outages throughout that region, if you go from Raleigh
to the Tidewater area up to Richmond and northern Virginia that off and on has
affected several hundred sites," Matthews said. There was no estimate available
for how many customers have been affected.

Getting crews out to cell sites to restore back-up power has been difficult
because of the flooding and crew safety concerns, particularly in eastern and
northeastern North Carolina, he added.

Other providers including AT&T Wireless were reporting minimal aftereffects from
the storm. AT&T has had no reported outages thus far, according to spokesman Ritch
Blasi.
 
http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=document&doc_id=126574&verticalID=34&vertical=Business+and+Finance&industry=

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