Louisiana governor blasts faulty wireless networks

[jones]

Louisiana governor blasts faulty wireless networks



(09/02/2005 9:24 AM EDT)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.j...leID=170700064

WASHINGTON — Struggling to cope with widespread chaos in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco blasted telecommunications providers for the apparent collapse of the state's wireless network.
"The communications network is completely gone," Blanco said Thursday (Sept. 1) as the situation in New Orleans grew more chaotic by the hour. Blanco said wireless networks throughout the state remained down, and that state officials were unable to use hand-held communications devices like Blackberrys.

Hurricane Katrina has again exposed shortcomings in emergency communications networks and the vulnerability of wireless networks during emergencies. Critics said more spectrum needs to be earmarked for emergency communications, and that networks need more redundancy to function in disasters.

As of Friday, calls to hurricane relief centers in Louisiana were still not being answered. The only response was that "all circuits are busy."

[Andy]

Hurricane Katrina has again exposed shortcomings in emergency communications networks and the vulnerability of wireless networks during emergencies. Critics said more spectrum needs to be earmarked for emergency communications, and that networks need more redundancy to function in disasters.

This has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. So they are saying that wirelss carriers need to allow more spectrum for emergency communications...well I"m sorry what the hell does spectrum do for you if your cellsites, backhaul, or switches are down? Some people are idiots.
I believe that all wireless carriers are working hard to restore commnications in the area, but after a Cat 4 storm like Katrina, it is expected that communications will be greatly affected.

[Dogma]

I understand the Governor's frustration with the lack of communications. But she obviously understands telecom/wireless very little.

Does she not know its hard to use your cell phone when the tower and bts are blown into the next state. Or if the switch or CO that feeds the tower is inundated with H20 it usually doesn't work. Another thing she needs to consider is employees of the cell companies in that area may be dealing with their own personal loss......like their homes and families are gone.

Its hard for a technician to start troubleshooting problems or getting emergency equipment in place when their vehicles are in the gulf of mexico.

[Fire14]

Maybe she needs to concentrate on helping the people down there vs saying something she doesn't understand enough to comment about, I can understand her concerns & fustrations, but what is working down there? Not much that I have been able to see, she might be trying to divert some attention from her & the rest of the goverment mess up's to help people properly.

[Jerro]

This women was a school teacher, she apparently does not know that switches don't work well under water. Or that then need a phone network to
carry the calls not just the AIR. Then of course she needs to know that electricity to power the wire and wireless networks is required.

And how about those pumps, they are not working since they are under water. They need a new Governor one who when they know a cat 5 is on its way 2 days ahead of time, evacuates everyone.

[M_Six]

Let's hope that this disaster illuminates one important thing; there are idiots in places of authority. Time to get them out.

[Fire14]

Let's hope that this disaster illuminates one important thing; there are idiots in places of authority. Time to get them out.

Unfortunately there are idiots on both ends in this situation, getting them out of authority may solve part of it, but not everything, since another idiot would take there place.

[M_Six]

Unfortunately there are idiots on both ends in this situation, getting them out of authority may solve part of it, but not everything, since another idiot would take there place.

Werd.

[Critic]

This women was a school teacher, she apparently does not know that switches don't work well under water. Or that then need a phone network to
carry the calls not just the AIR. Then of course she needs to know that electricity to power the wire and wireless networks is required.

And how about those pumps, they are not working since they are under water. They need a new Governor one who when they know a cat 5 is on its way 2 days ahead of time, evacuates everyone.

I'd be making a Battlestar Galactica joke here, what with the governor being a school teacher managing a crisis and all, but really, it's not very funny.

Seriously, tho...the towers and rooftop panels are gone. The landlines and hardware infrastructure are either gone or underwater. Wireless networks don't run on magic, regardless of what the operators put in their advertising. And, last time I checked, VZW's "Can you hear me NOW?" guy can't test the network if he's drowned in sewage runoff.

[ShoresGuy]

Blanco sure is blaming everyone except her own state gov't for the shortcomings. Why doesn't she give the providers some time to fix the infrastructure?!

[bobolito]

Maybe she doesn't know that cell phones need operating cell sites which need electricity to run. This is electricity that CLECO hasn't restored yet. So she's pointing the finger in the wrong place.

Either that or maybe she thinks wireless phone signals are sent from satellites.

[ShoresGuy]

Either that or maybe she thinks wireless phone signals are sent from satellites.

LMAO, time to get her on WA and teach her Wireless 101.

[Fire14]

LMAO, time to get her on WA and teach her Wireless 101.

Guess we should send her an email with a link to this place, saying she needs to report to wireless 101 before her next news conference on communication problems.

[ehcruzan]

Blanco sure is blaming everyone except her own state gov't for the shortcomings.

You hit the nail on the head! Her government has practically done nothing yet everyone else is at fault.

[Andy]

You hit the nail on the head! Her government has practically done nothing yet everyone else is at fault.

I agree- she's been pointing fingers at a lot of people and things, other than herself of course.

[M in LA]

Nothing has become more clearer, as this disaster continues, that Louisiana residents need to vote Kathleen Blanco out of office. Her ineffectiveness is embarassing. The things that are coming out about her ineptitude and poor leadership are unbelievable. She is huge part of the whole bureaucratic nightmare this disaster has uncovered. Instead of pointing fingers and whining, she needs to do the job the people of her state voted her in for. Sadly, trust in her is diminished!!

[Steve B]

Here is some gas to the fire.......The Louisiana governor blasts wireless carriers for faulty coverage after Katrina? How about the massive failures of the state (Louisiana) and city (New Orleans) governments? They failed to implement their very own evacuation procedures which included transportation for those who don't have vehicles and also included reaching people so poor as to not have TVs or Radios. The point the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans failed miserably in failing to implement their own evacuations procedures. If they had done it the situation in the area wouldn't be as bad as far as people go.

I'm not trying to start an arguement or flame war. My point in what I said above is that there is enough blame in the world for all things. Everyone has responsibilities and faults. There doesn't need to be finger pointing for anything (i.e. the Governor needs to shut his or her trap about the coverage because he has mistakes of his own to be dealing with right now). However, if people need to point fingers about mistakes made, then everyone should really look at what mistakes are more bad and start pointing fingers then (i.e. faulty coverage due to hurricane, which is normal...vs.....city/state government failing to do what they themselves planned to do in case of such a disaster).

Anyway, that's my 2cents....have a nice day! =)

[M in LA]

Here is some gas to the fire.......The Louisiana governor blasts wireless carriers for faulty coverage after Katrina? How about the massive failures of the state (Louisiana) and city (New Orleans) governments? They failed to implement their very own evacuation procedures which included transportation for those who don't have vehicles and also included reaching people so poor as to not have TVs or Radios. The point the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans failed miserably in failing to implement their own evacuations procedures. If they had done it the situation in the area wouldn't be as bad as far as people go.

I'm not trying to start an arguement or flame war. My point in what I said above is that there is enough blame in the world for all things. Everyone has responsibilities and faults. There doesn't need to be finger pointing for anything (i.e. the Governor needs to shut his or her trap about the coverage because he has mistakes of his own to be dealing with right now). However, if people need to point fingers about mistakes made, then everyone should really look at what mistakes are more bad and start pointing fingers then (i.e. faulty coverage due to hurricane, which is normal...vs.....city/state government failing to do what they themselves planned to do in case of such a disaster).

Anyway, that's my 2cents....have a nice day! =)

I could not agree with you more!!!!

[ShoresGuy]

Bush is also evading a number of issues, he stated that he wants to personally head up an investigation to see why the federal gov't took so long to respond to the hurricane. Well Mr. Bush here's the answer: Get off your ranch immediately when something like Katrina hits and don't wait until a couple days after the fact to respond to the fact by returning to D.C. when you please.

[Steve B]

Bush is also evading a number of issues, he stated that he wants to personally head up an investigation to see why the federal gov't took so long to respond to the hurricane. Well Mr. Bush here's the answer: Get off your ranch immediately when something like Katrina hits and don't wait until a couple days after the fact to respond to the fact by returning to D.C. when you please.

Being on the ranch or sitting at his desk at the White House has nothing to do with when he responds. In any givin situation, he can respond from anywhere.

I would say more but it would incite a flame war and that would not be a good thing.

[Andy]

Being on the ranch or sitting at his desk at the White House has nothing to do with when he responds. In any givin situation, he can respond from anywhere.

I would say more but it would incite a flame war and that would not be a good thing.

Agreed- he can act from pretty much anywhere, but it would have looked 'better' if he would have returned to the WH right away, I can understand Shoresguy, and I"m sure people in Germany are complaining about Mr. Bush even more now

[Jodi]

Blanco sure is blaming everyone except her own state gov't for the shortcomings.

I'm SOOOOOO glad that you said this!!!!!!!!! This woman is blaming everything but the kitchen sink....how about those 200 buses sitting in water that were supposed to be used for the evacuation??? Whose fault is that?? The busdrivers??? PLLLUUUUUEEEEEZZEEEE!!

[Andy]

I'm SOOOOOO glad that you said this!!!!!!!!! This woman is blaming everything but the kitchen sink....how about those 200 buses sitting in water that were supposed to be used for the evacuation??? Whose fault is that?? The busdrivers??? PLLLUUUUUEEEEEZZEEEE!!

As I can see, you're very frusted as well

This lady is a joke and I hope people will learn and send her off to wherever with a one way ticket.

[Steve B]

Agreed- he can act from pretty much anywhere, but it would have looked 'better' if he would have returned to the WH right away, I can understand Shoresguy, and I"m sure people in Germany are complaining about Mr. Bush even more now

Looked better...maybe, but in the big picture it doesn't really matter. Actions are what matter not cosmetics. My point is that everyone is so quickly to blame Bush when it really isn't his fault. As you can read in my first post that the first major failure was the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans. Bush actually had to call the governor of Louisiana and say "would you declare a state of emergency so I can get a foot in the door to do something". They actually came up with something but the Gov actually said she had to think about it and figure it all out. !O_O! The US Constitution is designed in such a way so that no one branch will have all the power. The Prez's phone call to the Gov. is the perfect example. As bad as it is the truth is the failure to act by the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans on their evacuation plans is what has caused the situation to be so bad. However, so many people conveniently ignore that fact completely so they can just blame Bush (and blame him for everything that is wrong)even though blaming Bush in the case is wrong.

Anyway, back to the original topic of this thread. =)

[bobolito]

I don't think we're talking about wireless in this thread anymore.