Sprint is ready to weather the storm this hurricane season

On the eve of what’s predicted to be one of the most active tropical storm seasons in three years, wireless customers can be confident in Sprint’s network performance when bad storms strike. Sprint’s experienced Emergency Response Team stands ready, having provided voice, broadband data, cellular, and satellite infrastructure for thousands of weather related crisis and special events.

In order to protect its wireless network from the impact of a tropical storm and keep customers connected during a natural disaster, Sprint has taken various preparedness measures including:

• Investing billions of dollars in coastal states from Maine to Texas, including investment in new cell site equipment, batteries, and greater fiber backhaul.
• Utilizing established Disaster Recovery Yards throughout the region to store and stage assets for response during an event.
• Performing routine maintenance checks and fuel top-offs on fixed and portable generators.
• Pre-staging rapidly deployable mobile satellite infrastructure in high-risk locations.
• Completing periodic training and readiness exercises.

“Communication during a storm is vital, and our customers and first responders can be confident Sprint is there for them,” said Joe Meyer, Vice President, Sprint Network Performance. “Our extensive planning for hurricane season and other crisis events ensures we can respond quickly to restore any impacted services.”

Once an event occurs, Sprint’s Enterprise Incident Management Team moves quickly to:

• Assess impacted areas from a local engineering command center.
• Inspect the local wireless network after landfall to assess damage.
• Work with local public safety and utility company officials to coordinate damage repair and recovery efforts.
• Provide local public safety government agencies, in states where an official “state of emergency” has been declared, with emergency communications assistance, including 14 days of service free of charge for up to 25 Sprint ERT wireless devices.

To help wireless consumers prepare for a storm this season, Sprint offers tips such as the importance of sending text messages instead of calling, and keeping mobile devices and batteries fully charged.