Cell phone users can expect better service during Hurricane Gustav than three years ago during Hurricane Katrina, according to spokespersons from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.AT&T is “much better equipped” to handle the potential impact of Hurricane Gustav than it was three years ago, said AT&T spokesperson Sue Sperry.”The network is really ready,” Sperry said. “There are some recent enhancements on campus. All of the cell sites in the potential impact zone throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama — all the generators have been topped off. They all have alternate power. Many of the cell sites have been rebuilt since Katrina, and they’re more elevated.”Sprint spokesperson Kristin Wallace said Sprint has invested $59 million into the network in the “hurricane region” — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — adding new sites and generators to help increase capacity and reliability in the region.”You need power for a cell site to operate,” Wallace said. “So that way with a permanent generator, power will continue, and that cell site will continue to be operational so that calls can get through.”Verizon Wirless has invested more than $137 million throughout the region, Verizon Wireless spokesperson Gretchen LeJeune said in a news release.Sperry said the AT&T network’s performance in Florida during Hurricane Fay earlier this summer gave her confidence as Gustav approaches.”We’re expecting a lot of really high wind activity in Baton Rouge,” Sperry said. “But we’re prepared. We’re ready. For any damage that does occur, we have almost a military level response system that’s already staged and ready to come to the site of any potential disaster area.”Cell phone users trying to contact friends and relatives in New Orleans should also have better luck than in the past thanks to a new switching center location, Sperry said.”The same scenario [as Katrina] is not going to occur,” Sperry said. “The Metairie switching station, which switched the calls for the area was flooded. That’s been corrected. It’s on high ground in a very secure facility on the northshore.”Sperry said she expects AT&T to quickly establish portable cell towers in the case of damage, but she advised cell phone users to text message when possible instead of make phone calls.”In a storm situation, there’s always going to be problems and extra strain on the network,” Sperry said. “The main thing that we ask from people is to text. For a phone call, you’ve got to have two-way communication and an open line. Texting doesn’t need that bandwith, and a text message just kind of gets in line and waits its turn to jump across the network.”Wallace also encouraged cell phone users to text message when possible.”That will be able to go through must easier,” Wallace said. “And at the same time, it also keeps that communication channel open so that emergency personnel are able to be able to respond and get through when they need to.”
 
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Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]