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Network Preparedness And Recovery Top-of-Mind For AT&T As Hurricane Season Nears
AT&T First Private Sector Company Nationwide to be Certified under Department of Homeland Security Standards for Disaster Preparedness
MIAMI, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With the start of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season just days away, AT&T* stands ready to respond with its state-of-the-art Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program, and now with a disaster preparedness certification in hand from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). AT&T's certification is the first nationwide under the DHS Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program (PS-Prep).
The PS-Prep certification reflects AT&T's commitment to keeping our networks up and running in the face of a natural or man-made disaster so consumers, businesses and emergency responders can communicate during and after these events.
AT&T has invested more than $600 million in our Network Disaster Recovery function - one of the industry's largest and most advanced disaster response programs - to help ensure the flow of wireless and wireline communications during emergencies. Formed in 1991, the NDR arsenal of equipment includes more than 320 technology and equipment trailers that can be quickly deployed to respond to events, such as hurricanes. The Network Disaster Recovery team works closely with local AT&T network personnel, regional Emergency Operations Centers and Local Response Centers to restore and maintain service until permanent repairs can be made.
The ability to quickly respond in the wake of a disaster is critical to maximizing network reliability. AT&T conducts readiness drills and simulations throughout the year to ensure our networks are prepared and our personnel are ready to respond at a moment's notice. Additionally, the AT&T Global Network Operations Center monitors our networks 24/7.
"For AT&T, it's all about providing a reliable, advanced network with fast disaster recovery so we can help people stay connected during the worst times," said Marshall Criser, III, president, AT&T Florida. "We're proud to be the first company in the nation to secure Homeland Security certification for disaster preparedness. We are constantly pumping new innovation and technology into our networks, to the tune of $95 billion over the last 5 years."
AT&T has continued to enhance network redundancy in hurricane-prone areas by installing more back-up and permanent generators at critical cell sites and switching facilities; locating critical equipment in less vulnerable areas; upgrading electronics critical to network operations above expected flood levels; and protecting physical facilities against flooding.
Additional AT&T standard pre-storm network preparations include:
-- Adding capacity to the wireless network to accommodate increased call
volume.
-- Testing the high-capacity backup batteries located at every cell site.
-- Distributing extended battery life and portable generators and
maintaining existing fixed generators.
-- Topping off generators with fuel at cell sites and central and
field-level switching facilities.
-- Using natural gas in some of the permanent generators to eliminate the
need to refuel.
-- Staging generators in safe locations for their immediate deployment once
a storm has passed.
Response equipment readied in the wake of a storm includes:
-- Mobile cell sites and mobile command centers
-- Emergency communications vehicles
-- A self-sufficient base camp, complete with sleeping tents, bathrooms,
kitchen, laundry facilities, on-site nurse and more than 10,000 meals
ready to eat (MREs)
-- Hazmat equipment and supplies
-- Technology and support trailers to provide infrastructure support and
mobile heating ventilation and air conditioning
-- Internal and external resources for initial assessment and recovery
efforts
Just as we prepare our networks and personnel, AT&T encourages residents and small businesses to consider the following recommendations in preparation for this year's hurricane season.
Consumer Tips:
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an
alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage,
such as using your car charger to charge your device or having extra
mobile phone batteries on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a
hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by
storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
-- Have a family communication plan in place. Designate someone out of the
area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know
who to contact if they get separated. Most importantly, practice your
emergency plan in advance.
-- Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into
your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire
station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an
evacuation. Because 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 that the central office is not operational, services such
as Voicemail, Call Forwarding, Remote Access call forwarding and call
forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device.
Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless
device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather
reports through services like AT&T U-verse Live TV or keep updated with
local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(®) Weather, if
you subscribe to those services.
-- Camera phones provide assistance. If you have a camera phone, take,
store and send photos -- even video clips -- of damaged property to your
insurance company from your device.
-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology. Services such as
AT&T Navigator and AT&T FamilyMap can help you seek evacuation routes or
avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as
track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.
Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set
up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees'
families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all
parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this
to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including mobile
and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc. Routinely
back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for
supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other
mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged
hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans.
Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup
location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with
neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters
affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for
supply chain continuity for business essentials.
-- Consider a back-up cellular network. Services like AT&T Remote Mobility
Zone, allows organizations to protect their critical communications by
installing small cell sites at the businesses' locations. If a disaster
disables primary communications networks, the back-up cellular network
can help keep your company connected.
Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- Try text messaging. During an emergency situation, text messages may go
through more quickly than voice calls because they require fewer network
resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable.
Depending on your text or data plan, additional charges may apply.
-- Be prepared for high call volume. During an emergency, many people are
trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling
volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on
your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this
happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This
allows your original call data to clear the network before you try
again.
-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most
important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will
be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business
associates.
Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at http://www.att.com/vitalconnections.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile Internet network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(®) and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.
(©) 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile Internet not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc.
CONTACT: Kelly Starling of AT&T South Florida, +1-561-301-1414, kelly.starling@att.com, or Michele Money-Carson of AT&T West Florida, +1-813-205-8865, michele.money-carson@att.com, or Gretchen Schultz of AT&T Central & North Florida, +1-407-324-6009, gretchen.schultz@att.com
Web Site: http://www.att.com
Network Preparedness And Recovery Top-of-Mind For AT&T As Hurricane Season Nears
AT&T First Private Sector Company Nationwide to be Certified under Department of Homeland Security Standards for Disaster Preparedness
MIAMI, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With the start of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season just days away, AT&T* stands ready to respond with its state-of-the-art Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program, and now with a disaster preparedness certification in hand from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). AT&T's certification is the first nationwide under the DHS Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program (PS-Prep).
The PS-Prep certification reflects AT&T's commitment to keeping our networks up and running in the face of a natural or man-made disaster so consumers, businesses and emergency responders can communicate during and after these events.
AT&T has invested more than $600 million in our Network Disaster Recovery function - one of the industry's largest and most advanced disaster response programs - to help ensure the flow of wireless and wireline communications during emergencies. Formed in 1991, the NDR arsenal of equipment includes more than 320 technology and equipment trailers that can be quickly deployed to respond to events, such as hurricanes. The Network Disaster Recovery team works closely with local AT&T network personnel, regional Emergency Operations Centers and Local Response Centers to restore and maintain service until permanent repairs can be made.
The ability to quickly respond in the wake of a disaster is critical to maximizing network reliability. AT&T conducts readiness drills and simulations throughout the year to ensure our networks are prepared and our personnel are ready to respond at a moment's notice. Additionally, the AT&T Global Network Operations Center monitors our networks 24/7.
"For AT&T, it's all about providing a reliable, advanced network with fast disaster recovery so we can help people stay connected during the worst times," said Marshall Criser, III, president, AT&T Florida. "We're proud to be the first company in the nation to secure Homeland Security certification for disaster preparedness. We are constantly pumping new innovation and technology into our networks, to the tune of $95 billion over the last 5 years."
AT&T has continued to enhance network redundancy in hurricane-prone areas by installing more back-up and permanent generators at critical cell sites and switching facilities; locating critical equipment in less vulnerable areas; upgrading electronics critical to network operations above expected flood levels; and protecting physical facilities against flooding.
Additional AT&T standard pre-storm network preparations include:
-- Adding capacity to the wireless network to accommodate increased call
volume.
-- Testing the high-capacity backup batteries located at every cell site.
-- Distributing extended battery life and portable generators and
maintaining existing fixed generators.
-- Topping off generators with fuel at cell sites and central and
field-level switching facilities.
-- Using natural gas in some of the permanent generators to eliminate the
need to refuel.
-- Staging generators in safe locations for their immediate deployment once
a storm has passed.
Response equipment readied in the wake of a storm includes:
-- Mobile cell sites and mobile command centers
-- Emergency communications vehicles
-- A self-sufficient base camp, complete with sleeping tents, bathrooms,
kitchen, laundry facilities, on-site nurse and more than 10,000 meals
ready to eat (MREs)
-- Hazmat equipment and supplies
-- Technology and support trailers to provide infrastructure support and
mobile heating ventilation and air conditioning
-- Internal and external resources for initial assessment and recovery
efforts
Just as we prepare our networks and personnel, AT&T encourages residents and small businesses to consider the following recommendations in preparation for this year's hurricane season.
Consumer Tips:
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an
alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage,
such as using your car charger to charge your device or having extra
mobile phone batteries on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a
hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by
storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
-- Have a family communication plan in place. Designate someone out of the
area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know
who to contact if they get separated. Most importantly, practice your
emergency plan in advance.
-- Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into
your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire
station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an
evacuation. Because 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 that the central office is not operational, services such
as Voicemail, Call Forwarding, Remote Access call forwarding and call
forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device.
Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless
device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather
reports through services like AT&T U-verse Live TV or keep updated with
local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(®) Weather, if
you subscribe to those services.
-- Camera phones provide assistance. If you have a camera phone, take,
store and send photos -- even video clips -- of damaged property to your
insurance company from your device.
-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology. Services such as
AT&T Navigator and AT&T FamilyMap can help you seek evacuation routes or
avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as
track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.
Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set
up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees'
families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all
parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this
to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including mobile
and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc. Routinely
back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for
supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other
mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged
hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans.
Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup
location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with
neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters
affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for
supply chain continuity for business essentials.
-- Consider a back-up cellular network. Services like AT&T Remote Mobility
Zone, allows organizations to protect their critical communications by
installing small cell sites at the businesses' locations. If a disaster
disables primary communications networks, the back-up cellular network
can help keep your company connected.
Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- Try text messaging. During an emergency situation, text messages may go
through more quickly than voice calls because they require fewer network
resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable.
Depending on your text or data plan, additional charges may apply.
-- Be prepared for high call volume. During an emergency, many people are
trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling
volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on
your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this
happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This
allows your original call data to clear the network before you try
again.
-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most
important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will
be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business
associates.
Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at http://www.att.com/vitalconnections.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile Internet network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(®) and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.
(©) 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile Internet not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc.
CONTACT: Kelly Starling of AT&T South Florida, +1-561-301-1414, kelly.starling@att.com, or Michele Money-Carson of AT&T West Florida, +1-813-205-8865, michele.money-carson@att.com, or Gretchen Schultz of AT&T Central & North Florida, +1-407-324-6009, gretchen.schultz@att.com
Web Site: http://www.att.com