Then they'll tackle the hardest hit neighborhoods, rolling in portable phone banks so people can make free local calls. If service is down, calling the phone company probably won't help. The phone company has electronic means for determining if service is out in an area. But these may not always work if power outages occur. GTE said it takes precautions to ensure that its key central office networks are not damaged by winds or flooding.
Central offices are where calls are routed to appropriate phone numbers.
Wireless phone companies said they also are taking precautions. PrimeCo Personal Communications said its cellular towers are backed by independent electric generators, in the event of electric power outages. PrimeCo has a disaster plan in place to hand out temporary cellular phones to emergency management agencies as needed, Hamby said. Other wireless companies have hauled in portable towers, just in case. Limited long-distance phone service to the U.S. Virgin Islands was restored Tuesday morning after being knocked out by Hurricane Georges, he said.