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Thursday, Jun. 11, 2009

When traditional telephone lines are down, there are options

Here is some information on alternative communication that might help if traditional lines go down.

Cellular phones

Most cellular companies have cell sites in hurricane-prone areas equipped with permanent or portable generators in the event of power outages, which are prevalent during storms.

To maximize use of cell phones during an emergency, here are some tips:

• Text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls during an emergency situation.

• Program all of your emergency contact numbers into your phone as well as family members.

• Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain all family members know whom to contact if they become separated.

• Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternate plan to recharge your battery in case of power outages (i.e. charging via your car charger, extra cell phone batteries, and use of a disposable cell phone battery).

• Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Since 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.

• Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum. Chances are that if there is severe weather, many people will be attempting to place wireless calls.

• Wait 10 seconds before redialing a call. On many wireless phones, to redial a number you simply push “send” after you’ve ended a call to redial the previous number. If you do this too quickly, the data from the phone to the cell site does not have enough time to clear and may contribute to network congestion.

Satellite phones

Satellite telephones can give coverage everywhere in the United States in the event the local telephone infrastructure is disrupted. But they can be costly to operate.

Name-brand products include Iridium, Thuraya, Inmarsat and Globalstar.

Satellite telephone representatives recommend to prepare before the hurricane season and warn that demand could result in delays and issues with shippers being able to deliver into areas where a hurricane is projected to hit.

Satellite telephones can be purchased or rented. Rental fees run from $20 a week to more than $200, depending on the company and phone style. Usually there is no minimum usage or activation fees.

Purchase prices run average from $650 to $1,500 and even more if you want extended features such as Internet and voice capabilities. Refurbished phones prices start in the $400 range.

Satellite airtime costs vary, depending on systems or purchase packages. But one can expect to pay about $2 an hour. And, be aware that there are also monthly fees involved from $30 for emergency service to about $300 for extended service.

Amateur radio

Amateur radio operators (hams) have been instrumental in providing emergency information when traditional telephone systems were down.

For information about how to become an amateur radio operator, go to ARRL.org (American Radio Relay League); hello-radio.org; or write Mississippi Coast Amateur Radio Association W5SGL, P.O. Box 1785, Gulfport, MS 39502. Coast contacts: Butch (KA2KMU) or Gail Horning (KC5KMU), thekmus@earthlink.net, or Tom or Merle Hammack (W4WLF), 864-4452, w4wlf@arrl.net.