TRACNotes
Vol. 3 # 35 --
September 2, 2005
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TRAC AND YOU
Latest News from Phone Companies Affected by Hurricane Katrina - As media reports have noted over the last few days, the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has severely damaged most landline and cellular telephone networks in the affected areas. Please see below for the latest news from the major wireless, local and long distance carriers operating in the area who have posted updates on their activities:
- BellSouth - Florida: Approximately 393,200 lines have been restored in Florida since Hurricane Katrina struck; more than 6,600 of those in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. About 15,200 customer lines in Broward and Miami-Dade remain affected. For more information, click here.
- BellSouth - Louisiana: The total number of projected lines impacted in Louisiana is about 1,000,000. Approximately 130,000 lines have been cleared to date as power is restored, and 870,000 lines remain impacted. The actual time it will take to restore service depends upon BellSouth's access to the affected areas, the availability of electric power, and, ultimately, the extent of physical damage encountered by BellSouth's repair teams. This includes damage to terminals, poles, cables and drop lines to customer homes. For additional information, click here.
- BellSouth - Mississippi: Preliminary estimates reflect that more than 260,000 telephone lines have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Generators are being distributed to sites without power and in many locations, telephone service will be restored as the power is restored. Click here for more information.
- Cingular Wireless – (Last updated 9/1/05) Over the past 24 hours Cingular has made significant progress in restoring network coverage in areas affected by the hurricane. Service in Mobile and other parts of Alabama, as well as in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is almost fully restored. Disruptions in Mississippi are mainly in Jackson, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Hattiesburg, Gulfport and Brookhaven. Some customers are still able to send and receive calls in these affected areas but at significantly reduced levels. The most significant service impact has been in New Orleans, as expected, due to flooding and power outages. Access to the city continues to be restricted. Until the city can be accessed, Cingular is maximizing power/capacity at every active cell site-- located mainly on rooftops. Throughout the affected areas, network congestion may be an issue and the company encourages customers to keep non-emergency calls to a minimum and to use text messaging as an alternate means of communications. Cingular Wireless has set up free emergency calling stations at its open company-owned retail stores across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to help the many individuals and families who are without power and phone service due to Hurricane Katrina. Free phone calls to friends and family anywhere in the United States can be made at Cingular stores during normal store hours. The calling stations are available to anyone who simply needs to use a phone. All Cingular stores will offer free calls as they open. The company has also set up a free mobile calling station at the Cajundome in Lafayette where thousands of evacuees are being housed. For more information, click here.
- SBC – (Last updated 9/1/05) The company will make available to hurricane victims up to 1,000 telephones with free local and long distance calling, free wireless service in conjunction with Cingular Wireless, and SBC Yahoo! DSL service and computers for high-speed Internet access. Additionally, the company plans to install Wi-Fi hot spots for use by public service personnel and media for wireless Internet access. It is expected that most of the communications services deployed at the Astrodome will be in place by the time the New Orleans relocation effort is completed. For more information, click here.
- Sprint – (Last updated 8/30/05) Sprint Nextel reports that wireline and wireless services into and out of the area have been impacted. A long-distance switch located below sea level reported flooding and had to be powered down, affecting long-distance calls into and out of the area. Meanwhile, those wireless sites on battery backup will have to await deployed assets of generators and personnel to recharge batteries in order to turn the sites back on. Safety issues make it more difficult to get to some sites to effect repairs. While the storm's impact in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast is apparent, some of Sprint Nextel's local customers in the Florida Panhandle also have been impacted. Much of Sprint Nextel's long distance service is typically directed through New Orleans, thus customers in the Florida Panhandle may find it difficult to place long distance calls, send data or use the Internet. Sprint Nextel's technicians are working diligently to find alternative routes for that communications traffic. Sprint Nextel stores will open once it is safe. Customers without service will be able to stop by those stores to place essential wireless calls. In addition, the company will be setting up Community Support Tents, providing food, water, ice, replacement batteries and service and repair assistance to the general public in affected areas. For more information, click here.
- Verizon Wireless – (Last updated 9/1/05) Service to parts of New Orleans and surrounding areas, including Mandeville, Lacombe, Slidell, Hammond and Covington, are beginning to come back online and coverage has been reestablished at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International airport. Wireless service continues to improve in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Pensacola, Florida; and Mobile, Alabama and in surrounding areas where technicians have been able to move in and begin restoring the network. Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in Baton Rouge, Mobile and Pensacola have been re-opened and are providing residents free local and long-distance calls, battery charging and technical support to anyone in need of these services due to Hurricane Katrina. The company is urging subscribers in the affected areas to communicate through TXT Messaging since this service uses less bandwidth than voice calls and has a higher chance of getting through. Users are also being asked to try to limit wireless phone usage as much as possible by calling an out of town contact to let them know you are safe and asking them to spread the word to your family and friends. This will help keep the network from being overloaded for emergency workers who are depending on wireless communications in their rescue and restoration operations. For more information, click here.
BUCKS WATCH
MCI Raising Monthly Fee on Basic Rate Plan - The onset of autumn this year may be a bit chillier for many MCI long distance subscribers. Effective October 1, subscribers to MCI’s Basic Dial One long distance plan will see their monthly recurring fee increase by $1 from $3.95 to $4.95. The Basic Dial One plan is the plan that MCI subscribers who do not choose an optional long distance plan are placed on by default. It is also one of MCI’s most expensive long distance plans (35¢ per minutes Monday-Friday, 5¢ per minute Saturday-Sunday). MCI subscribers who are not sure which plan they are on should contact MCI long distance customer service at 1-800-444-3333 to find out which long distance plan they are subscribed to. Additional information on this rate change can be found by clicking here. Customers should be especially wary of being on the basic rate plan if they suspect that they may be a victim on slamming, the unauthorized switching of your local or long distance carrier. Often, consumers are placed on a basic rate plan when they are slammed. Consumers who are interested in switching their long distance plan may be interested in TRAC’s TeleTips Residential Long Distance Comparison Chart, which compares more than 80 of the nation’s leading long distance plans on price, features, and “fine print.” The chart is available for purchase online at http://www.trac.org/charts/ for $6 ($7 for a hard copy). Chart may also be purchased by mail by sending payment to:
TRAC
P.O. Box 27279
Washington, DC 20005
WIRELESS WATCH
Sprint-Nextel: What Consumers Should Watch Out For - On Thursday, Sprint-Nextel officially began operating as a single merged company. For wireless phone users of the two companies, especially ex-Nextel subscribers, there are a few things to keep an eye on as the new company tries to merge its differing operations. First, keep an eye on your bill. As many AT&T Wireless subscribers found out after the AT&T Wireless-Cingular merger, combining two very different billing systems can lead to a lot of glitches and suspect charges. If you find a problem with your bill, call 1-888-211-4727 immediately to resolve the issue. Make sure and document the first and last name and employee number (if available) of the customer service representative you speak with for future reference. Be sure to find out what to do if you need to replace your Nextel phone. As many ex-AT&T Wireless subscribers found out when trying to replace their phones, you may be asked to switch to a Sprint service plan in order to replace your phone. Also, be sure that any replacement phone will work on both Sprint’s PCS network and Nextel’s iDEN network. For additional information and consumer tips for Sprint and ex-Nextel subscribers, click here.
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions: http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
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