TELECOM COMPANIES WEATHER TERRORIST ATTACKS

Verizon, which requested that N.Y.C. and Washington customers use their phones only for emergencies, said “phone lines are extremely busy” and many customers could experience fast busy signal calling into or out of N.Y. “We are handling all the telephone traffic we can but, obviously, it is critical that emergency calls have the top priority.” Company said there didn’t appear to be any “major disruption” in its telecom network, although it lost network switching center on 10th floor of one of collapsed World Trade Center buildings that served 40,000 lines, mostly in that building. Company also has number of network facility centers in lower Manhattan but was rerouting traffic normally handled by those centers.

SBC and BellSouth said they had beefed up security at their installations. “This includes added network monitoring and appropriate safety measures for our employees,” SBC said. “We are also cooperating as part of a larger effort to ensure that our link within the national communications system is sound and that communications nationwide are kept open,” it said. Shortly after attacks, call volume was 3 times usual level in some areas, but volumes leveled off later in day, said BellSouth, which also instituted “special security precautions.”

Focal Communications, after evacuating technicians from its switching centers in Manhattan, began monitoring switches from its National Operations Center near Chicago. Spokeswoman said company lost 100 lines in World Trade Center, including some provided to Morgan Stanley. Company also evacuated its hq in downtown Chicago.

AT&T lost local service node that was in one of World Trade Center buildings, spokesman said. Facility served center and some businesses in lower Manhattan. In general, though, there was no damage to company’s long distance network, he said. However, because of congestion, AT&T recommended that customers not call N.Y. or Washington. Sprint experienced high calling volumes in N.Y. and Washington, spokesman said. It reportedly had some damage to network equipment under World Trade Center. WorldCom reported its network was “secure” and said it was “working under routine emergency operations to ensure our network continues to deliver service.” Reuters reported that even France Telecom had network congestion caused by so many people calling U.S. after tragedy. “The network is not saturated but we are having to regulate calls so people may have to try several times,” spokeswoman said.

Verizon Wireless, joint venture of Vodafone and Verizon, saw call volume jump 50-100% on nationwide basis above typical Tues., said spokesman, who declined to elaborate on traffic figures. Failed attempts to get calls through, or blocked calls, typically were below 2%, but were running 6-9% Tues., he said. However, in lower Manhattan, rate of blocked calls was closer to 100%, spokesman said. He and other cellphone carrier officials denied rumors that rate of blocked calls in N.Y.C. was due to security issue.

Cellular network congestion that made calling difficult was widely reported Tues. morning, although extent of congestion and network outages couldn’t be ascertained. Like landline carriers, wireless companies asked subscribers to use phones only in case of emergency. “Congestion is way high on the network,” said AT&T Wireless spokesman, who said carrier didn’t yet have more specifics on problems in N.Y. It, too, warned subscribers to use phones only in case of emergency.

Cingular Wireless said it “experienced increased traffic levels on its wireless network” and asked that customers keep lines clear for 911 calls. “Cingular’s network is functioning at peak capacity and we will continue to monitor and maintain the network in order to facilitate our customers’ calls,” carrier said. In some cases, Cingular said callers might receive message that “your call cannot be completed at this time.”

“You can imagine what kind of network capacity issues we are experiencing, how the network is being asked to perform,” Nextel spokeswoman said in interview via her wireless phone. “We are able to make cellphone calls, direct-connect 2-way calls and text messaging,” she said. Company was preparing “thousands of phones” in Washington and Pa. for use by law enforcement agencies and public safety entities that needed additional communications gear for search and rescue operations, she said. “We have so many of them [agencies] as our customers already and we know to reach out when there is any kind of emergency situation,” spokeswoman said. “It is pretty standard procedure.”

“We're expecting to work closely with federal authorities to help provide wireless service,” CTIA said, and group had been in touch with Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ways that carriers were helping in affected areas include setup of mobile, generator-powered cell sites called COWs (cell on wheels), which increase call capacity in particular area on temporary basis. Trade association also may oversee distribution of handsets, which it has done under other emergency scenarios such as floods, spokesman said.

Numerous telecom events in Washington were cancelled Wed., including news conference scheduled by Toffler Assoc. in U.S. Capitol to release report on 3rd-generation wireless services. Qualcomm and Verizon Wireless also canceled briefings at CTIA Wireless I.T. & Internet 2001 show in San Diego. State govts. in Conn., Fla. and Ill. closed down, along with state regulators. Qwest closed its offices in Denver and Southern Governor’s Assn. cancelled last day of its meeting in Lexington, Ky.