Verizon Wireless Completes Network Restoration Across Southwest Florida In Wake Of Hu

[Andy]

Verizon Wireless Completes Network Restoration Across Southwest Florida In Wake Of Hurricane Wilma
Large-scale Efforts Continue in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach Counties



Media Contact Info

Chuck Hamby
Chuck.Hamby@VerizonWireless.com
813-615-4803

Sheryl Sellaway
Sheryl.Sellaway@VerizonWireless.com
678-339-5564



10/27/2005

BOCA RATON, FL — Verizon Wireless has restored its digital network to 100 percent capacity across southwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Wilma, while teams of network technicians continue to restore and maintain reliable wireless service in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties – areas still beset with widespread power outages and failure of other communication networks.

Dozens of network crews and fleets of equipment were initially deployed to the Naples area near Wilma’s landfall, and across the entire southern part of the state hit hardest by the storm. Now that the wireless network along the state’s southwest coast is fully restored, most of the company’s resources and restoration efforts have been re-focused in the southeast.

These efforts include more than 65 cell sites in the southeast now being powered by permanent built-in generators (in Florida about 80 percent of all Verizon Wireless cell sites have built-in generators), and another 67 sites powered by portable generators. In addition, mobile transmission units have been installed to boost network capacity in critical areas near hospitals and emergency operation centers where rescue workers are using wireless phones for post-storm communications.

These measures have allowed Verizon Wireless to restore wireless service to about half of the affected cell sites throughout south Florida during the last 48 hours alone.

The Verizon Wireless network team also is working with the local landline telephone companies and others to identify connectivity issues that are impacting the Verizon Wireless network. Additional support staff and equipment from surrounding areas are now being brought in to further support the restoration effort.

“Our tagline ‘We never stop working for you’ is more than a slogan,” said Mike Lanman, Verizon Wireless Florida region president. “Reliability is critical and that’s why we invest significant resources and effort to prepare and respond effectively.”

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $800 million in its Florida network during the past five years alone, plus millions more in preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina and other storms in 2005 and 2004. The company invests more than $4 billion nationwide each year – about $1 billion every 90 days – in its advanced voice and data networks.

Preparations for Hurricane Wilma included:

Fine-tuning the company’s digital network across the state to add call capacity in threatened areas before the storm hit.
Strategically positioning fleets of mobile generators and mobile cell sites to be deployed immediately in any hard-hit areas.
Pre-arranging fuel delivery to the mobile units and generators at permanent cell sites to keep the network operating even if power is lost for an extended period of time.
Having teams of “test men and women” from across the state already prepped and ready to roll in specially-equipped vehicles to test the network in the wake of Wilma.
Verizon Wireless also reported today that 40 of its 56 retail locations in South Florida have reopened for regular business and are providing residents free local and long-distance calls, battery charging and technical support to anyone in need of these services due to Hurricane Wilma. Customers can view a list of open stores at http://news.vzw.com/criticalevents/m...idaStores.html.

Editor’s Note: To accompany a Verizon Wireless Test Man or to visit one of the company’s Emergency Command Centers in preparation of or response to a storm, contact Chuck Hamby at 813-404-6029.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation’s most reliable wireless network, serving 49.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

http://news.vzw.com/news/2005/10/pr2005-10-28a.html

[Andy]

Stores Reopen and Provide Free Calling To Floridians In Need; Teams Working Round-The-Clock To Restore Network
Service Improvements Continue in South Florida; Additional Network Equipment Joins Recovery Efforts



Media Contact Info

Chuck Hamby
Chuck.Hamby@VerizonWireless.com
813-615-4803

Sheryl Sellaway
Sheryl.Sellaway@VerizonWireless.com
678-339-5564



10/26/2005

BOCA RATON, FL — Verizon Wireless reported today that 23 of its 42 retail stores in South Florida have reopened for business in the wake of Hurricane Wilma, and are providing free local and long-distance calls, battery charging and technical support to those in need of these services. Customers can view a list of open stores online.

“Our retail stores are important to the communities they serve,” said Verizon Wireless Florida President Mike Lanman. “Verizon Wireless will continue to work round-the-clock on network improvements and at our stores to provide support to residents in the affected areas."

Verizon Wireless service continues to improve in Naples and Ft. Myers on the southwest coast, the area closest to Wilma’s landfall, as well as in Dade, Broward and southern Palm Beach counties where there are continuing widespread power outages. Network teams have targeted those areas and have deployed dozens of portable generators to cell sites with no power; this has restored wireless service to about 35 percent of the affected sites during the last 24 hours alone.

In addition, more than 75 cell sites in south Florida are now being powered by permanent built-in generators; in Florida about 80 percent of all Verizon Wireless cell sites have built-in generators.

Verizon Wireless technicians were deployed throughout South Florida at sunrise Wednesday. They are installing mobile transmission units to boost network capacity in critical areas near hospitals and emergency operations centers where rescue workers are using wireless phones for post-storm communications.

The Verizon Wireless network team also is working with the local landline telephone companies and others to identify connectivity issues that are impacting the Verizon Wireless network. Additional support staff and equipment from surrounding areas are now being brought in to further support the restoration effort.

Verizon Wireless hurricane response and recovery efforts include:

More than 40 COWs (Cell on Wheels) are staged and some already are being deployed to help increase wireless coverage in the hardest hit areas
More than 40 electrical generators are in place to provide emergency power to cell sites without permanent generators.
Verizon Wireless Disaster Recovery teams are coordinating with wireline and power companies to reestablish connectivity to cell phone towers in the area.
Continuous monitoring of cell sites and switches in the affected areas has been under way via the company's national Network Operations Control Centers located in New Jersey and Texas, assisting recovery teams on the ground in identifying service status and conditions.
The company also said it would continue service in impacted areas for those customers who have been left homeless and are unable to contact the company regarding pending overdue bill payments that under normal circumstances might lead to service interruptions.
While Verizon Wireless continues to work to restore service in all areas impacted by Hurricane Wilma, the company offers the following tips to those in the affected areas:

Communicate through TXT Messaging since this service uses less bandwidth than voice calls and has a higher chance of getting through.
Use wireless phones only when necessary so the network will not be overloaded for emergency workers who are depending on wireless communications in their rescue and restoration operations.
Editor’s Note: To accompany a Verizon Wireless Test Man or to visit one of the company’s Emergency Command Centers in preparation of a storm, contact Chuck Hamby at 813-404-6029.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation’s most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

http://news.vzw.com/news/2005/10/pr2005-10-26c.html

[agentHibby]

Sounds like VZW is doing more and more to be ready for any disasters in the south. Hopefully they are ready for it in all regions, becuase a natural disaster can happen in any of them.

[Andy]

Like the earthquake that's said to happen here basically anytime in the future, but if something like that happens, all communications will be out for a while.