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.

Is your cell service out?  If so report it on CTNewsJunkie’s crowd sourced map from our friends at SeeClickFix.


Connect with Lon:

Lon Seidman is the host and producer of “Lon.TV,” a consumer technology video show that is on a number of platforms including YouTube and Amazon. He creates in-depth, consumer-friendly product reviews and commentary. His YouTube channel has over 300,000 subscribers and more than 100 million views.

In addition to being a full-time content creator, Lon is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford (his alma mater) where he teaches a course in entrepreneurial content creation.

Prior to becoming a full-time creator, Lon was a partner at The Safety Zone, his family’s business that manufactures gloves and safety equipment. The company has locations around the globe and employs over 200 people worldwide. The Safety Zone was acquired by the Genuine Parts Corporation in 2016.

Lon is also active in public service, serving as the Chairman of the Essex Board of Education, a member of the Region 4 Board of Education, and as the Secretary / Treasurer of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. He was endorsed by both Democrats and Republicans for his re-election in 2021.

The views, opinions, positions, or strategies expressed by the author are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of CTNewsJunkie.com.