Hurricane Gustav: Cell Phone Carriers More Prepared for Gustav Than Katrina; Carriers Offer Tips

Following heavy criticism the major U.S. cell phone carriers received from their performance amid Hurricane Katrina, various regulatory bodies demanded widespread improvements.

Hurricane Gustav, which has been threatening New Orleans, Baton Rouge and various other cities in the Gulf Coast area, is now testing the fruits of this labor.

The nation’s cell phone carriers said this week they’re more prepared for Hurricane Gustav than they were for Hurricane Katrina.

Following Katrina, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless both said this week that they have spent about $140 million in the Gulf Coast states to sustain in emergency conditions.

While AT&T didn’t specify an exact figure, a spokesman for the carrier said the company has spent “hundreds of millions” of dollars in the Gulf area.

Sprint Nextel said it had trucks that doubled as cell phone towers “caravaning down military style” on Friday to various Gulf Coast areas.

Verizon Wireless said it has invested in its emergency preparedness by doubling its switching capacity to manage the flood of calls that light up the networks amid an emergency.

The cell phone carriers have also issued helpful tips for phone users during an environmental disaster.

Voice calls place more strain on a cell phone network than text messages. When possible, send SMS messages instead of placing voice calls. Text messages also come in clearly whereas a voice call could be muffled by loud noises.

AT&T says: “Program all of your emergency contact numbers and email addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital as well as your family members.”

AT&T says: “Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a hurricane is water. Keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.”

AT&T says: “If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos (even video clips) of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.”

If a power failure occurs, cordless telephones at home won’t work once their batteries die. To not be reliant on a wall power-based phone, consider using or plugging in traditional landline phones.

If you have an extra battery for your cell phone, make sure it’s charged and make sure it’s with you. Also, don’t forget to carry with you your cell phone’s charger and (if you have one) a car adapter for charging.

Sources: The Orange Leader, Associated Press, Computerworld