Telecom Lead America: Taking lessons from the last year’s
Hurricane Irene, wireless major Verizon has prepared its North Carolina network
and emergency response teams to serve customers in the event of major storms
and other emergencies.
The company said that its ongoing investments and
preparations have proven critical during emergency situations in previous
years.
“In the event of severe weather or an emergency, we
want our customers and communities to feel secure and confident in our
network’s coverage and strength. We have extensive, behind-the-scenes emergency
response plans to ensure that our customers maintain maximum connectivity in
unexpected situations,” said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless
Carolinas/Tennessee region president.
With year-round intensive investments and preparations,
Verizon ensures customers can rely on its wireless network to keep them
connected during severe weather and throughout the year.
In order to serve its customers in the event of major
storms and other emergencies, Verizon has constructed new cell sites with
on-site back-up power. Also, it arranged Cells on Wheels (COWS), Cells on Light
Trucks (COLTS), and generators on trailers (GOaTS) for immediate deployment to
hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.
Furthermore, the operator said that it is ready to
prearrange fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network
operating at full strength even if power is lost.
These initiatives are part of a network investment
exceeding $1.5 billion in North Carolina since the company formed in 2000,
which includes launching the advanced 4G LTE network in the cities of
Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, High Point,
Lumberton, Raleigh, Washington, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem.
In addition to extensive preparation efforts, Verizon
Wireless offers several smartphone apps to help customers protect themselves
and stay connected in the case of a storm or other crisis.
Verizon Wireless has been ranked highest in customer
satisfaction and performs particularly well in performance/reliability and
offerings/promotions in both the very small and small/medium business segments.
Verizon Wireless joins hands with Comcast to offer data new
packages
Recently, Verizon Wireless and Comcast entered into an
agreement and to roll out a variety of offers and incentives for both new and
existing customers.
