T-Mobile Gears Up for Hurricane Debby, Focused on Maintaining Connectivity and Providing for First Responders and Communities
Tropical Storm Debby intensified into a Category 1 hurricane and made landfall early this morning near Steinhatchee in the Big Bend area of Florida with winds up to 80mph. Debby is expected to slow and bring a storm surge of 6-10 feet and heavy rains across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Here’s how T-Mobile prepared to help public safety and impacted communities:
Network Preparedness
T-Mobile’s network is performing strong through the storm, with previous hardening through permanent backup power solutions at sites along the storm’s anticipated path helping to keep customers connected through commercial power outages.
Generators and batteries have been topped off at key sites such as network switches and local towers, and fueling stations are ready for emergency response vehicles and refueling trucks.
T-Mobile has also positioned network equipment for rapid deployment post-storm as conditions safely allow, including:
- T-Mobile’s Mobile Emergency Operations Center: Large RV with network management and monitoring equipment
- SatCOLTs and SatCOWs: Satellite cell-on-light-trucks and satellite cell-on-wheels that teams can drive to impacted areas to temporarily restore or boost service
- Quick-deploy and portable VSATs: Satellite dishes called “Very Small Aperture Terminals” that can provide a layer of coverage across broad areas
- Microwave solutions: Network technology that offers high throughput and low latency for better data usage
- Generators: Portable power solutions
Support for Public Safety
T-Mobile’s emergency teams are collaborating with federal, state and local agencies, including being in-person at the Florida State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and coordinating with EOCs in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. This collaboration helps prioritize restoration efforts and address the needs of public safety and other recovery organizations, including the swift deployment of temporary network equipment.
Additionally, we are working with FEMA’s Region 4 Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group along with FEMA Disaster Emergency Communications and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Region 4.
Agencies needing communications assistance can contact our 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-639-0020 or email at ERTRequests@T-Mobile.com.
Community Support
Our community support team is on standby and equipped with vehicles and trailers that provide Wi-Fi, device charging, charging supplies and other connectivity needs. They are ready to assist at evacuation shelters or other locations along Debby’s path.
Customer Concessions
While the majority of our customers are on plans with unlimited talk, text and data, for those who aren’t we are offering unlimited talk, text and data for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers from today, August 5, through Sunday, August 11 in the following counties:
- Florida: Alachua, Baker, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Nassau, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla
- Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Glynn, Lanier, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Tattnall, Ware and Wayne
Employee and Retail Stores
We are monitoring potential impacts on our employees, retail stores, Customer Experience Centers and other locations. For updates on local store operations, please use our store locator to check your nearest store, as some locations may be temporarily closed or operating under modified hours in the coming days.
