Sprint (
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Alert), a company that offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services, has reportedly announced the networks of the company displayed sound performance during Hurricane Gustav and are still operational, as Sprint technicians are continuously working to move in portable generators and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWS) to restore service in the impacted areas, so that customers can have uninterrupted wireless service.
A number of Sprint customers have reported that both during and following the storm, their wireless voice and data service remained operational.
Mark Sudduth, a hurricane tracker, who in partnership with Sprint, uses the mobile broadband cards of the company to relay data and live video to his Web site during hurricanes, said the network performed flawlessly during the hurricane, and he was able to complete his mission of providing important weather data to consumers and news organizations.
The members of Sprint’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) deploy additional Nextel Direct Connect Handsets with Direct Connect and Direct Talksm capability to provide support during the emergency conditions, and the team received a big number requests from first responders, local government and businesses in the impacted area during Gustav. Direct Talksm enabled handsets can communicate off-network via push-to-talk with other Direct Talksm-capable handsets over short ranges, completely independent of any wireless network.
Tanya Lin, operations manager for Sprint ERT, said the team has a dedicated staff of 16 full-time employees that are always prepared to assist with disaster relief and recovery efforts, whether it was Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech incident or more recently the San Diego wildfires.
Lin noted that the team provides unique support services, and after staging in Pensacola, Tex. and Baton Rouge for nine days and providing more than 1,000 phones to more than 50 customers, the team is now moving toward Florida and the Carolinas to help with the forthcoming storms in that region.
In the times of emergency, Sprint also provides Sprint ERT’s Go-Kit to the public sector and first responder teams, and the kits provide them with immediate access to mobile communications tools for emergencies, including fully-charged cell phones and wireless Broadband cards. A dedicated hotline for instant activation is also included in these devices, if needed.
Arvind Arora is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Arvind's articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Eve Sullivan
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