Diversified Telecommunications and Technology Services Company Readies Network For Emergency Operations and Recovery
RIDGELAND, Miss. (September 11, 2024) – C Spire is readying its network, operation centers, retail locations and workforce for the possibility that Hurricane Francine will cause extensive damage across Mississippi and Alabama.
"We are taking this situation very seriously and we will be ready for whatever occurs. Our preparations are designed to give customers maximum reliability from their wireless service and home fiber internet at the time of greatest need," said Charles Watson, senior vice president of Network Operations for C Spire. "When disaster strikes, individuals, families and emergency response personnel depend on connectivity as a lifeline to the outside world. We are committed to providing our customers with the best network coverage possible in every situation.”
C Spire has prepared its wireless and fiber networks and workforce for a wide range of potential disasters, including major weather events such as hurricanes. The company routinely reviews and updates its emergency preparedness plans and conducts drills throughout the year to test the readiness of its network, team members and backup systems.
The company has put restoration teams on standby and is massing equipment and materials to protect critical facilities and cell sites. C Spire uses backup batteries and diesel generators at sites and has planned for replacement fuel supplies in case normal fuel delivery options are interrupted by commercial power outages.
The company will rely on hurricane-ready “super switches” in Mobile, Alabama and in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that provide added protection and service for customers in south Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast and in south Alabama and the Florida panhandle.
Both high-tech mobile phone switching facilities, which are designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane with winds up to 200 miles an hour, connect millions of calls, wireless data transmissions and other critical services daily for consumer and business customers. In addition to hardened and reinforced shells, the all-steel and concrete structures house large-scale 500-kilowatt diesel power generators, a grid of backup batteries and other redundant backup systems, operations and technologies.
C Spire also relies on an extensive network of microwave technology that can circumvent damaged or destroyed landline systems and ensure that wireless calls can be routed to their final destination, Watson said. “This microwave technology is critical to support communications during natural disasters when landline systems are inoperable,” he added.
The company’s workforce and all network resources will remain on “high alert” and C Spire will be ready to immediately activate its Emergency Response Plan, which guides the deployment of resources and personnel during a crisis.
C Spire Customers can also get updates on the network and other news via social links by following the company on Facebook and X.
The company is coordinating its emergency response preparations with local, state and federal agencies, including the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
For more information about emergency planning and communication tips, visit the National Hurricane Center (NHC) or Ready.gov. For a free hurricane preparedness guide, visit the NHC or the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class, customer-inspired wireless communications, multi-gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, wireless, IP Voice, data, cloud and managed IT services for businesses and enterprises. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or X at www.x.com/cspire.
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