Wireless carrier also assists emergency responders with communication plans
JACKSON, Miss. - (August 28, 2005) – Cellular South, the nation's largest privately held wireless provider, has established a dedicated number to keep its customers updated with the latest information about Cellular South's wireless service and network capabilities, store hours for retail locations in affected areas and other disaster relief information before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. Customers can access the Hurricane Katrina Hotline by dialing #STORM, a free call from their Cellular South phone, or calling toll free 1-888-790-7211.
"To prevent network congestion, Cellular South urges wireless users in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina to keep non-emergency calls to a minimum," said Hu Meena, Cellular South president. "Families have the of reassurance of knowing their wireless phones go wherever they go, and of course, that same mobility is crucial to the work of emergency management and relief personnel."
Cellular South's network is currently operating at full capacity and the company's Network Operation Control Center and Emergency Task Force will be monitoring service around-the-clock. The Cellular South Customer Care Center is open for regular business hours.
The following retail locations will be closed Monday and will re-open as soon as conditions are safe to do so:
- Alabama – Locations in Mobile and Baldwin Counties
- Mississippi – All Mississippi Gulf Coast Locations, Picayune, Wiggins, Hattiesburg, Laurel, Columbia, Lucedale, Waynesboro, Bay Springs, Brookhaven, McComb, Natchez, and Tylertown.
Cellular South's Emergency Task Force Disaster Preparations
As part of its disaster preparations, Cellular South's Emergency Task Force has contacted emergency management, disaster relief agencies and municipalities in affected areas to assess their potential communication needs. The company has donated wireless phones and unlimited, priority phone service to emergency responders, such as the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the American Red Cross, for use during Hurricane Katrina and afterward for any damaged areas.
Cellular South's disaster response plan includes back-up generators for all of the company's network towers, with the goal of maintaining continuous wireless service during storm-related power outages. In addition, Cellular South provides COWS (Cell Sites on Wheels) and COLTS (Cells on Light Trucks) to accommodate increased call volume and help ensure that customer can place and complete calls in a disaster situation.
The company's Network Operation Control Center oversees year-round 24-hour monitoring of wireless networks, with Emergency Task Force technicians deployed to provide additional support and repairs as needed in stricken areas.
About Cellular South
The company is the largest privately held wireless provider in the U.S. and is licensed to provide wireless service – to a total population of more than five million people – on its network stretching from the Memphis Metropolitan Area, throughout all of Mississippi, along Coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Walton County. The company has been named Mississippi Business Journal's Salute to Business and Industry 2005 Large Retailer. For more information, contact Cellular South at 1-877-CSOUTH1 or visit cellularsouth.com.
Contact:
Tanya Rankin, Cellular South (601) 974-7134 trankin@cellularsouth.com
