Connecticut’s two major wireless carriers claim they are ready for Sandy, after mixed results in the aftermath of Irene and the 2011 October snowstorm.
AT&T said in a statement that it has been moving generator fuel and equipment into the region to prepare for potential long term power outages. The company says it has installed “quick connect generator plugs” at all of its cell sites so that crews can move in generators to recharge emergency batteries at cell sites. In 2011 AT&T experienced difficulty getting those generators into the region and many cell sites went down as a result. In a statement AT&T says additional back up and permanent generators have been brought into hurricane-prone areas in preparation.
Verizon Wireless claims that 90 percent of its cell sites throughout the New England area equipped with both backup generators and batteries. Verizon said in a statement yesterday portable cell sites will be staged in the region to replace any permanent sites that are damaged by the storm. Verizon cautioned that any repairs to their infrastructure may have to wait until their crews are able to work safely.
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