Hoping to appease both the federal government and its own subscriber base, Verizon Wireless said in a Federal Communications Commission filling it would increase network capacity during emergencies instead of giving priority access to wireless calls made by emergency officials.
The government has said it wants priority access to wireless communications networks in Washington, D.C., New York and Salt Lake City prior to the upcoming Winter Olympics, stepping up its demands following the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks.
The service would allow emergency officials to type in a code on their mobile phones giving them priority access to the network and ensuring the call is completed.
In its filling, Verizon Wireless said it would “respond to specific emergency communications needs of the government by taking actions to increase its network capacity and the ability of people to make calls.”
Those actions would include the use of cells-on-wheels, known as COWs, rerouting traffic, distributing wireless handsets and increasing the number of employees to deal with increased traffic. Verizon Wireless used similar actions following the attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.
