In addition to public safety concerns, many communities recently struck by Hurricane Sandy lost cell service leaving users unable to reach family and loved ones or reach out for help. With fewer households connected to convention cooper wire phone lines, the viability of cellular service is a growing public safety concern. It is also a consideration for companies developing mobile health apps and the patients who rely on them — particularly those that use mobile apps to monitor chronic conditions like diabetes.
After Hurricane Katrina wiped out communication along the Gulf Coast, federal regulators proposed that wireless companies be required to have backup power at all cell towers, but the industry sued to block the requirement, stating an excessive financial burden as its’ reasoning. The end result is a virtually unregulated wireless industry, which left thousands of customers without cellular service as one in four cell towers failed during Hurricane Sandy. The serious inadequacy of the cellular industry’s lack of backup power during emergency situations represents a significant public-safety concern that the Federal Communications Commission needs to address and regulate. Click here to read more.
