New Orleans, La. — Sep. 3, 2005
T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced the company has restored its wireless service to a significant level Saturday in the hardest-hit areas of New Orleans. T-Mobile engineers successfully repaired, and are operating, several sites in the area including a high-capacity cell site now running on generator power on top of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Astor on Canal Street.
The wireless service is now accessible from many areas across downtown New Orleans - including the French Quarter, Convention Center and the Superdome - as well as Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. In an effort to keep as many people connected as possible, T-Mobile is enabling virtually all users of GSM/GPRS phones, whether or not they are T-Mobile subscribers, roaming access to the network in the area.
T-Mobile also continues to provide priority network access in the area and throughout the Gulf Coast to public safety officials, emergency first responders, and others in need.
T-Mobile's network switch in New Orleans - key to enabling service in the area - was maintained through the storm and continues to operate well. T-Mobile is able to restore wireless service to downtown New Orleans under the escort and assistance of the U.S. National Guard.
T-Mobile expects heavy call volumes and some call congestion in the area due to the anticipated high demand for service; and many parts of Louisiana still remain without wireless coverage. As conditions on the ground continue to be uncertain, T-Mobile engineers are working to maintain the highest level of service possible, and further enhance service levels in the area and the north Gulf Coast.
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.