WASHINGTON-The wireless industry painted a rosy picture Monday of what happened to its networks during last month’s blackout.
“The wireless industry really is a veteran in restoring service,” said Kathryn Condello, vice president of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. “Our citizens and emergency responders have more means of access than any other on the globe.”
Condello made her presentation before the FCC’s Network Reliability & Interoperability Committee, which examined the impact of the blackout on all telecommunications networks.
Condello did admit that some cell sites experienced intermittent service, but she chalked that up to the “interdependencies between the telecom and electrical sector.”
Best practices developed and used by the wireless industry rely on electricity, said Condello, so CTIA is working with the electricity industry.
While the industry was congratulating itself for escaping mostly unscathed, Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, issued the wireless industry a warning.
“In times like these we are going to see an ever increasing demand on wireless,” said Powell.
Condello later told RCR Wireless News that there may have to be a philosophical discussion about whether customers want lower prices or an always-available-even in catastrophes-network.
“You have to decide what kind of network your customers want,” said Condello. “And that isn’t going to happen for $39.99 a month.”
As for wireless priority access, additional training of what is and is not available is necessary, said Katharine Burton of the National Communications Center, noting that some people tried to use capabilities on the system that are not yet available.
In general, the telecommunications industry seemed to perform well during the blackout but official statistics are not yet available because it has not been 30 days since the event, said P.J. Aduskevicz of the Network Reliability Steering Committee.
