Company also readies network
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless has mobilized its
emergency operations team as Hurricane Rita gains strength off the Texas
coast. Cingular conducts ongoing readiness drills throughout the year and has
a rigorous emergency preparedness and response process in place for these
types of natural disasters.
"Wireless phones are often the only line of communication for many people
during and after hurricanes and we want consumers to know what they can do to
maximize the use of their device during a storm," said Andy Shibley, vice
president and general manager for Cingular Wireless in South Texas. "We have
the necessary emergency resources in place to quickly respond and are prepared
for what Rita may bring.
"One top recommendation that was validated when Hurricane Katrina hit was
that people should text message rather than try and make voice cell calls.
Text messaging uses far less bandwidth, and experience has proven that people
are more likely to get through with text messaging. When additional people
attempt to make voice calls at the same time, it adds congestion to the
network, which can block calls from getting through. That doesn't happen with
text messaging."
Cingular offers consumers these important tips in preparation for the
storm:
- Program all emergency contact numbers into your wireless phone. Store
numbers for the police department, fire station, hospital, as well as
your family members so you don't have to think about it during and
after an emergency.
- Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of
the area as a central contact, and make certain all family members know
who to contact if they become separated.
- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Use your car
charger to charge your wireless phone when power is out, or pick up a
disposable battery that will give you an hour of talk time without any
charging.
- Keep your wireless phone dry and protected. The biggest threat from
hurricanes is water versus wind damage so keep your equipment safe from
the elements by storing it in a plastic sandwich or freezer bag.
- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an
evacuation. Since call forwarding is based out of the telephone central
office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone, even if
your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely
event the central office is isolated, call forwarding may not work.
- Consider additional cell phones for your family's use. If you want to
add additional cell phones to your wireless service, remember to do so
prior to the emergency.
Staying in touch and maximizing your wireless service during and after an
emergency:
- Try text messaging, or SMS (Short Messaging Service). Most wireless
phones today are text messaging capable, and often times during an
emergency situation such as a hurricane, text messages will go through
quicker than voice calls. More importantly, using text messaging helps
free up the voice lines for emergency officials.
- Use a landline phone if it is available. In many instances, landline
service may still be available in your area so this still may be an
option.
- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum. Remember to limit your calls to
the most important ones. Chances are that if there is severe weather,
many people will be attempting to place wireless calls to loved ones,
friends and business associates. If the landline phones are not
working, this probability increases.
- Wait 10 seconds before redialing a call. On many wireless phones, to
redial a number, you simply push "send" after you've ended a call to
redial the previous number. If you do this too quickly, the data from
the phone to the cell sites does not have enough time to clear before
you've resent the same data and may contribute to network congestion.
- Use your wireless phone to access weather information. Many homes lose
power during severe weather. If you have a wireless phone that provides
access to the Internet, you can watch the Weather Channel through
Cingular's Mobi-TV service or through My-Cast Weather.
- If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos of damaged
property to your insurance company from your device.
"Cingular has extensive experience with hurricanes and other natural
disasters in Florida, and most recently with Katrina along the Gulf Coast,"
Shibley said. "We have learned from those experiences and are confident we
have the processes and expertise in place to react quickly to restore vital
communications, even after the most devastating storm."
The company has designated a switching facility in the San Antonio area as
its emergency response staging area where equipment and personnel will be on
stand by. Network preparations include the staging of more than 50 portable
generators, several portable cell sites, and several hundred network
technicians and engineers in and around the region, to ensure customers and
emergency agencies have reliable wireless service before, during and after the
storm.
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States,
serving 51.6 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC
Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS), has the
largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(SM)
network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless
carrier. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the
wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details
of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com. Get Cingular Wireless
press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at
http://cingular.mediaroom.com.
SOURCE Cingular Wireless
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.cingular.com
CONTACT:
Frank Merriman, +1-469-229-7613, or wireless,
+1-214-538-3496, or frank.merriman@cingular.com, or Meg Frainey,
+1-469-229-7784, or wireless, +1-214-497-6072, or
meg.frainey@cingular.com, both of Cingular Wireless
|
