SCHUMER: THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS AND FIRST RESPONDERS LEFT WITHOUT VITAL CELL SERVICE IN WAKE OF SANDY, HINDERING RESPONSE AND ENDANGERING LIVES – CALLS FOR PLAN TO ENSURE CONTINUATION OF CELL SERVICE IN THE WAKE OF DISASTERS
Schumer Calls on Federal Communications Commission To Ensure That Vital Communications Networks Aren’t Cut After Storms or Power Failures – Urges Agency To Work With Responders and Industry To Establish and Implement Plan ASAP
An Estimated One In Four Towers Failed After the Storm – Approximately One-Third the Of Phone Users Rely Exclusively On Wireless
In Places Like Long Beach, Rockaways, Staten Island And More, Cell Phone Service Was Severely Curtailed After The Storm, Hindering Response Efforts and Endangering Lives
New York, NY – Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take the lead in developing a nationwide plan to ensure that cell towers don’t lose power for days or weeks in the wake of severe storms, terrorist attacks or other events that cause power failures. Schumer said that the FCC should work with industry and first responder groups to decide the best way forward that maximizes reliability, and minimizes costs and accelerates implementation time. He noted that approximately 33% of phone users now rely exclusively on wireless technology, and an estimated one out of every four towers in the impacted areas were down after Superstorm Sandy hit, leaving huge sections of impacted citizens struggling to effectively communicate during and after the storm’s impact.