BLS Bellsouth Cp

Work Crews, Generators, Portable Cell Sites, and Fuel Ready to Go; Wireless Tips Provided to Consumers BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Hurricane Wilma, Cingular Wireless has mobilized an extensive array of resources to address damage from this fierce storm. The company's preparations include: - FOUR STAGING AREAS - These areas are used to house equipment that will be deployed for network recovery efforts and are located in: - Sunrise - Margate - Riviera Beach - Lakeland - MORE THAN 700 GENERATORS - In addition to the permanent generators Cingular has at nearly 400 of its cell sites statewide, the company has: - More than 330 portable generators for deployment where needed in the wake of the storm; - Topped off all permanent generators with fuel; - Established 105 employee teams for deployment of the generators and fuel. - OVER 580,000 GALLONS OF EXTRA FUEL - The company has additional fuel available for refueling of permanent and portable generators, including: - 23,500 gallons of unleaded and diesel fuel on hand; - 560,000 gallons of unleaded and diesel fuel on reserve for dispatch from Jacksonville; - A 3,700 gallon fuel pump truck ready for dispatch; - Three 7,200 gallon tanker trucks ready to go. - PORTABLE CELL SITES - Cingular has nine mobile cell sites that are ready to be moved to key locations to help provide coverage, including: - 8 staged in Lakeland; - 1 satellite COLT (Cells on Light Truck) en route from Louisiana. - OTHER PREPARATIONS - A helicopter is reserved and ready to survey damage in the wake of the storm; - Ground survey teams have been established to assess damage; - Food is stocked in staging areas for field personnel; - Boom truck and chainsaw crews staged for use in accessing sites during the recovery process. Cingular conducts ongoing readiness drills throughout the year and has a rigorous emergency preparedness and response process in place for events like Hurricane Wilma. "Our top priority is to have the necessary resources in place to quickly respond to whatever Hurricane Wilma may bring," said Rich Guidotti, vice president and general manager for Cingular's South Florida market. Cingular also offers the tips outlined below so that consumers understand what to expect when they use their cell phones or other wireless devices during an emergency and what they can do to prepare. One top recommendation for customers that was validated when Hurricane Katrina hit is the use of text messaging during emergency situations. "Text messaging uses far less bandwidth, and experience has proven that people are more likely to get through with text messaging," said Dan Norman, vice president and general manager for Cingular's North Florida market. "In the event of a power outage, customers with plans that give them access to the wireless Internet can watch live weather and news reports on their wireless phones." In preparation for the storm, Cingular encourages consumers to do the following: - Program into your cell phone all of your emergency contact numbers, including the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members so you don't have to think about it during and after an emergency. - Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain all family members know who to contact if they become separated. - Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternate plan to recharge your battery in case of power outages (i.e. charging via your car charger, extra cell phone batteries, use of a disposable cell phone battery). - Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat from hurricanes is water versus wind damage so keep your equipment safe from the elements. - Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Since call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone, even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event the central office is isolated, call forwarding may not work. Staying in touch and maximizing your wireless service during and after the storm: - Remember, wireless phones are complex radios. Your wireless call travels over airwaves to another phone, and just like radios, wireless calls can be obstructed by bad weather. - It is important for consumers to keep in mind that during an emergency many more people are trying to use their cell phones at the same time when compared to normal calling activity. When more people try to call at the same time, the increased calling volume may create network congestion. Network congestion can cause "fast busy" signals from wireless phones during times of heavy wireless phone usage, such as during an emergency. Customers may even receive a message that says, "Your call cannot be completed at this time." If you hear this message, simply hang up, wait a few seconds and retry. - Try short/text messaging service (SMS). Often times during an emergency situation, text messages will go through quicker than voice calls. More than 70 percent of Cingular phones are SMS capable. Also, if you have a wireless data device such as a BlackBerry, you can use its messaging capabilities to communicate. Depending on your call plan, additional charges may apply. - Use a landline phone if it is available. In many instances, landline service may still be available in your area so this still may be an option. - Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum; limit your calls to the most important ones. Chances are that if there is severe weather, many people will be attempting to place wireless calls to loved ones, friends and business associates. If the landline phones are not working, this probability increases. - Wait 10 seconds before redialing: If you do hang up before your call has gone through, pause before you redial. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you try again. Cingular will provide updated information about Hurricane Wilma at its dedicated website http://www.cingularhurricaneupdates.com/. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 52.3 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(SM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/. DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Kelly Layne Starling, +1-561-301-1414, or , or Caroline Crowe, +1-404-808-8254, or , both of Cingular Wireless Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://www.cingularhurricaneupdates.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/

Copyright