Recovery Efforts Continue: Cingular Wireless Hurricane Katrina Update

12PM ET Wednesday, August 31, 2005 


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.

   - More than 100 recovery crews involved in restoration.
   - Helicopters conducting aerial surveys.
   - More than 500 emergency generators and more than 240,000 gallons of
     fuel are available.
   - Hundreds of additional network personnel and emergency equipment are
     standing-by in Florida and Georgia ready to assist in recovery efforts
     as needed.

  Network Status
   - 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.

  Note: Please visit http://www.cingularhurricaneupdates.com/ for regular updates.


DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless



CONTACT:  Dawn Benton, [phone], or [phone], or

 , or Caroline Crowe, [phone], or

[phone], or  , both of Cingular Wireless



Web site:  http://www.cingular.com/

http://www.cingularhurricaneupdates.com/ 

Copyright