Sprint PCS reported that 97 percent of its wireless network in portions of the Southeast impacted by Hurricane Ivan are operational, but it cautioned that local power issues and connectivity to the local telephone company is still impacting the ability to place and receive calls.
“Sprint has installed portable generators in many of its critical sites and is moving additional generators in to restore sites as they lose battery power,” said John Quigley, director of network operations at Sprint. “At the same time, Sprint is preparing for possible network outages in other markets in the Southeast as Ivan continues to move north.”
The carrier added that it was sending a mobile showroom stocked with wireless phones, batteries and accessories to Mobile, Ala., to assist with customer service. Sprint also estimated that there were 17,500 local access lines in the Fort Walton Beach, Fla., area without service and it is working with local authorities to determine where to move pay phone banks into the area to allow customers to make free calls and where to equip centrally located areas with wireless phones for customers without local service.
The hurricane, which came ashore near Mobile early Thursday, has been blamed for 33 deaths in the United States.
