AT&T Prepared To Keep Georgia Customers Connected During Hurricane Season

ATLANTA, June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* is committed to providing its Georgia customers reliable communications during the upcoming hurricane season - before, during and after storms - and has one of the industry's largest and most advanced business continuity and disaster response programs to keep its networks operational.

Despite predictions, we never know when the next tropical storm or hurricane will hit the coastline. With more than $600 million invested in the Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program, AT&T's arsenal of equipment includes more than 300 technology and equipment trailers that can be quickly deployed, making it one of the nation's largest and most advanced disaster programs.

"Staying connected during severe weather events is critically important to consumers, businesses and our emergency management officials," said Georgia AT&T President Beth Shiroishi. "That's why AT&T invests a tremendous amount of resources in our network reliability and disaster response capabilities."

The NDR team works closely with other AT&T response teams, local AT&T network personnel, regional Emergency Operations Centers and Local Response Centers to fortify network facilities and equipment, and stage technicians and resources near the storm impact area. In the event of damage, teams are poised to restore and maintain service until permanent repairs can be made.  AT&T is the only telecom company to recently become re-certified under new international standards by the Department of Homeland Security for its private-company voluntary disaster preparedness.

AT&T also conducts readiness drills and simulations throughout the year to ensure our networks are prepared and our personnel are ready to respond at a moment's notice. NDR will complete its 74th full-field recovery exercise this year. Additionally, the AT&T Global Network Operations Center monitors our networks 24/7. Since its inception in 1991, the NDR has responded to more than 70 catastrophes across the U.S.

AT&T standard pre-storm network preparations typically include:

• Adding capacity to the wireless network to accommodate increased call volume
• Testing the high-capacity backup batteries located at cell sites
• Staging extended battery life and portable generators and maintaining existing fixed generators
• Topping off generators with fuel at cell sites and central and field-level switching facilities
• Using natural gas in some of the permanent generators to eliminate the need to refuel
• Staging generators in safe locations for their immediate deployment once a storm has passed

Response equipment readied in the wake of an event includes:

• Mobile cell sites and mobile command centers
• Emergency communications vehicles
• A self-sufficient base camp, complete with sleeping tents, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry facilities, on-site nurse and meals ready to eat (MREs)
• Hazmat equipment and supplies
• Technology and support trailers to provide infrastructure support and mobile heating ventilation and air conditioning
• Internal and external resources for initial assessment and recovery efforts

As we prepare, so should you.

Consumers and businesses also should have a plan in place. When preparing for an evacuation or shelter-in-place, remember these following tips.

Consumer Tips:

• Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. In case of a power outage, have alternate means of charging your phone available, such as an extra battery, car charger or device-charging accessory. Sales tax holidays are a great time to stock up on cell phone accessories for your household.
• Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering, such as an Otterbox phone cover.
• Have a family communication plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know who to contact if they get separated. Most importantly, practice your emergency plan in advance.
• Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.
• Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as Voicemail, Call Forwarding, Remote Access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
• Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a working wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through services like AT&T U-verse Live TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast^® Weather, if you subscribe to those services. 
• Camera phones provide assistance. If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos — even video clips — of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.
• Take advantage of location-based mapping technology.  Services such as AT&T Navigator and AT&T FamilyMap can help you seek evacuation routes or avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.

Small Business Tips:

• Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees' families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all parties know about the business situation and emergency plan.
• Back up data to the Cloud. Routinely back up files to an off-site location. Services such as Mobile Workplace are a suggested solution for small businesses.
• Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
• Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for supply chain continuity for business essentials.
• Consider a back-up cellular network. Services like AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, allows organizations to protect their critical communications by installing small cell sites at the businesses' locations.  If a disaster disables primary communications networks, the back-up cellular network can help keep your company connected.

Keeping the lines open for emergencies

During evacuations, the storm event and its aftermath, network resources will likely be taxed. To help ensure that emergency personnel have open lines, keep these tips in mind:

• Text messaging. During an emergency situation, text messages may go through more quickly than voice calls because they require fewer network resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable. Depending on your text or data plan, additional charges may apply.
• Be prepared for high call volume. During an emergency, many people are trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you try again.
• Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business associates.

Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at www.att.com/vitalconnections.        

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions of people and businesses around the globe stay connected through leading wireless, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We're helping people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S. wireless network offers customers the nation's strongest LTE signal and the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage. We're improving how our customers stay entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse^® TV and High Speed Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their customers better with AT&T's mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

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Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers' LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere. Global coverage claim based on offering voice and data roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offering the most wireless smartphones and tablets that work in the most countries.

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