Verizon is prepared to keep you communicating during Hurricane Matthew

BASKING RIDGE, NJ – As Hurricane Matthew continues its path toward the east coast of the United States, Verizon Wireless is well-prepared to serve customers in Florida, up the eastern seaboard and across the region with the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network and largest. 

Final fine-tuning measures are underway across the coastal markets, and local network teams also are prepared to travel to assist regions hit hardest by the storm.  The efforts are part of a year-round plan to keep the network strong and reliable during storms and other circumstances.

Network enhancements since last year’s storm season include enhancing the most advanced 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) services; adding capacity to hundreds of cell sites; fortifying coverage along evacuation routes; deploying LTE Advanced technology and installing new in-building network systems at hospitals, government and emergency facilities, high-traffic public venues and other key locations.

In addition, the company has a number of “super-switch” network processing centers, which are designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.  With hardened shells, these facilities also feature large-scale on-site power generation, various redundant operations and technologies, and other back-up systems to ensure the company’s network remains strong, running and reliable.

“Our engineers and technicians are working around the clock preparing emergency services, staging extra equipment and running drills to ensure our customers can rely on us when they need it most,” said Sergei Mislevy, executive director of Network operations for Verizon Wireless.  “We have a responsibility to provide reliable service and we take great pride in preparing for and providing that to our customers.”

Other Verizon Wireless ongoing efforts to ensure a reliable network include:

• A comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers in the case of a storm or other crisis.
• Network technicians use high tech mobile equipment to measure the quality of Verizon Wireless voice and data service calls all across the state.
• The company has a fleet of dozens of Cells on Wheels (CoWS), Cells on Light Trucks (CoLTS), and generators on trailers (GOaTS) that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.
• Pre-arranging fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for an extended period of time.
• Erecting new cell sites with on-site generators and new expanded fuel tanks to extend their power-generating capacity.

These initiatives are part of a network investment exceeding $111 billion since the company formed in 2000 to increase the coverage, reliability and capacity of its premier nationwide network, and to add new services.