Schumer asks for backup power sources for cell towers
Posted at: 11/18/2012 11:18 AM
By: Cadence Acquaviva
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Superstorm Sandy disrupted cell phone service in several states, and New York's Sen. Charles Schumer wants to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Schumer is asking the Federal Communication Commission to require that cell phone service providers have emergency power sources.
He says the FCC should work with the telecommunications industry and first responder groups to maximize reliability and minimize costs.
When Sandy hit the Eastern seaboard on Oct. 29, nearly 1 in 4 cell phone customers were without communications and some customers lost service for days.
An FCC spokesman says the regulating body wants to take a serious look at requiring backup power.
And AT&T spokeswoman says the company hasn't seen Schumer's proposal but will continue to work closely with government to prepare for emergencies.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
