<% @ Language=VBScript %>Katrina's new waves
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Katrina's new waves

August 26, 2005

In 1985, Katrina and the Waves released their seminal hit "Walking on Sunshine," forever turning the music world on its ear with its depth and soul.

Twenty years later, a new Katrina has arisen to make her own waves, leaving anything but sunshine in her wake.

Yet while Hurricane Katrina wrought havoc in South Florida, there have been positive reports coming out of wireless providers in the area.

Consider the following statements derived from a Cingular press release issued today:

"The nation's largest wireless carrier today announced its South Florida network is 85 percent operational in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. More than 100 technicians and engineers are on the ground deploying portable generators and working closely with local utilities and telephone company officials to quickly restore impacted sites . . ."

Verizon had this to say about the condition of its network:

About 96 percent of the Verizon Wireless Florida digital network remained up and running throughout the storm, though network operability dropped slightly after the storm due to back-up batteries on rooftop cell sites running down. By 11 a.m. Friday, the network already was returning to full capacity.

That's great news for many of the people who have no other means to report emergencies "Wireless communication can play a key public safety role in emergencies," said Mike Lanman, Verizon Wireless Florida region president in a prepared statement. "And we dedicate a great amount of resources to prepare and respond."




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