Sprint Prepared for Gustav's Impact
Sprint Nextel Invested $59 Million in Network Preparations in Coastal Communities
Millions of Customers and First Responders Rely on Nextel Direct Connect
NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE:S) said it is preparing for the potential impact of Hurricane Gustav threatening to make landfall along the Southeast Gulf Coast on Monday. As it does for every impending tropical storm or hurricane, Sprint has staged backup generators and personnel in strategic locations along the Gulf Coast to manage potential service impacts. In addition, two Sprint Service and Repair Vans are ready to travel to the impacted markets and assist customers with their wireless needs including providing service and repair, accessories, back-up batteries and phone calls to connect with family and friends.
In 2007, Sprint installed permanent generators at more than 1,300 sites throughout the Southeast and Gulf Coast. In addition, through the first six months of 2008, Sprint has invested more than $140 million for network enhancements throughout the Gulf Coast states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas).
One of the primary reasons for the loss of wireless service in a hurricane is the loss of commercial power to the cell site. Sprint continues to take steps to reduce the effect of power loss on its wireless networks. In 2007, Sprint invested $59 million for hurricane preparations in storm-prone coastal communities. This investment included the installation of permanent generators for critical wireless sites and network facilities as well as investment in additional portable generators and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) - mobile cell sites that can be deployed in impacted areas to restore service quickly. This equipment provides backup to the networks in the event of power outages or other damage that could result after a hurricane.
As a standard practice, Sprint has permanent generators at all of its wireless and wireline switches, the network components where data and calls are routed to their final destination. In addition, permanent generators are installed at all of the company's network Points of Presence (POP), the facilities where traffic enters and leaves the company's global IP network, which facilitates dedicated data services for Sprint's corporate and government customers as well as other critical communications. These backup generators have automatic cutover switches to immediately neutralize any loss of commercial power.
Customers can take proactive steps before the storm hits. Sprint offers the following consumer tips to prepare for a possible landfall:
-- Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged, but be
aware that an interruption of wireline and commercial power
could affect wireless calls.
-- If possible, get extra batteries and charge them.
-- In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your
wireless phone should enable you to recharge the battery.
-- Keep phones and necessary accessories in a sealed plastic bag
to avoid water damage.
-- Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone.
-- Wireless networks sometimes experience heavy traffic during
emergency events, so remember to use Nextel Direct Connect(R)
or send a text message.
Sprint has invested $27 million since 2006 to expand the scope of the Sprint Nextel Emergency Response Team (ERT) - a team that, when created in 2002, was an industry-first and provides critical communications and personnel to assist first responders with relief efforts. In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, the ERT's Rapid Deployment Services will deploy additional Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTS,) the design of which is proprietary to Sprint Nextel. SatCOLTS help facilitate communications among relief and response agencies. Additional ERT staff members will pre-stage in the region for any potential disaster response efforts. Sprint's ERT also has an inventory of over 25,000 devices that can be distributed to government agencies for relief efforts.
For more information about Sprint Nextel hurricane preparation efforts, or to learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm, visit: www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation.
Millions of Customers and First Responders Rely on Nextel Direct Connect
NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE:S) said it is preparing for the potential impact of Hurricane Gustav threatening to make landfall along the Southeast Gulf Coast on Monday. As it does for every impending tropical storm or hurricane, Sprint has staged backup generators and personnel in strategic locations along the Gulf Coast to manage potential service impacts. In addition, two Sprint Service and Repair Vans are ready to travel to the impacted markets and assist customers with their wireless needs including providing service and repair, accessories, back-up batteries and phone calls to connect with family and friends.
In 2007, Sprint installed permanent generators at more than 1,300 sites throughout the Southeast and Gulf Coast. In addition, through the first six months of 2008, Sprint has invested more than $140 million for network enhancements throughout the Gulf Coast states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas).
One of the primary reasons for the loss of wireless service in a hurricane is the loss of commercial power to the cell site. Sprint continues to take steps to reduce the effect of power loss on its wireless networks. In 2007, Sprint invested $59 million for hurricane preparations in storm-prone coastal communities. This investment included the installation of permanent generators for critical wireless sites and network facilities as well as investment in additional portable generators and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) - mobile cell sites that can be deployed in impacted areas to restore service quickly. This equipment provides backup to the networks in the event of power outages or other damage that could result after a hurricane.
As a standard practice, Sprint has permanent generators at all of its wireless and wireline switches, the network components where data and calls are routed to their final destination. In addition, permanent generators are installed at all of the company's network Points of Presence (POP), the facilities where traffic enters and leaves the company's global IP network, which facilitates dedicated data services for Sprint's corporate and government customers as well as other critical communications. These backup generators have automatic cutover switches to immediately neutralize any loss of commercial power.
Customers can take proactive steps before the storm hits. Sprint offers the following consumer tips to prepare for a possible landfall:
-- Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged, but be
aware that an interruption of wireline and commercial power
could affect wireless calls.
-- If possible, get extra batteries and charge them.
-- In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your
wireless phone should enable you to recharge the battery.
-- Keep phones and necessary accessories in a sealed plastic bag
to avoid water damage.
-- Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone.
-- Wireless networks sometimes experience heavy traffic during
emergency events, so remember to use Nextel Direct Connect(R)
or send a text message.
Sprint has invested $27 million since 2006 to expand the scope of the Sprint Nextel Emergency Response Team (ERT) - a team that, when created in 2002, was an industry-first and provides critical communications and personnel to assist first responders with relief efforts. In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, the ERT's Rapid Deployment Services will deploy additional Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTS,) the design of which is proprietary to Sprint Nextel. SatCOLTS help facilitate communications among relief and response agencies. Additional ERT staff members will pre-stage in the region for any potential disaster response efforts. Sprint's ERT also has an inventory of over 25,000 devices that can be distributed to government agencies for relief efforts.
For more information about Sprint Nextel hurricane preparation efforts, or to learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm, visit: www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation.
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