ATT Cell phone service down in Michigan

[Scott53]

Message Edited by Scott53 on 01-11-2009 09:15 PM

[callmeox ACE - Wizard]

With the weather that you guys had overnight and the reported power outages, I'm not surprised that they would have some towers out of service.

[shoe]

Probably because of this.

Power Outages in West Michigan

7:00 AM Update                                        GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., (December 28, 2008) -- Approximately 96,000 Consumers Energy electric customers are without service due to the high winds that continue to sweep  across the state.
 
The approximate numbers of Consumers Energy electric customers remaining without service in the following counties are as follows:  Alcona (700); Allegan (3,260); Arenac (2,800); Barry (1,900); Bay (2,500); Benzie (1,150); Branch (900); Calhoun (1,400); Clare (1,600); Clinton (2,000); Eaton (700); Genesee (5,800); Gladwin (500); Grand Traverse (120); Gratiot (2,350); Hillsdale (300); Ingham (3,800); Ionia (6,700); Isabella (4,200); Jackson (3,400); Kalamazoo (5,300); Kent (11,700); Lake (470); Lenawee (1,700); Manistee (100); Mecosta (425); Midland (2,800); Missaukee (350); Monroe (140); Montcalm (3,800); Muskegon (1,800); Newaygo (1,900); Ogemaw (3,400); Osceola (275); Oscoda (550); Ottawa (4,500); Saginaw (4,550); Van Buren (1,400); Washtenaw (325) and Wexford (1,300).Utility, line clearing and contract crews will continue to restore power throughout the day.  Estimated restoration times will be available later today after damage assessment activities are completed.Consumers Energy cautions area residents to avoid touching any downed wires and to report them immediately by calling 1-800-477-5050, or your local law enforcement agency.Customers who call Consumers Energy to report no power are encouraged to use the utility’s automated reporting option, available at 1-800-477-5050. The service provides restoration information for each substation and circuit, and can be used to report an outage.Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE: CMS), provides natural gas and electricity to more than six million of the state's nearly 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.For more information regarding Consumers Energy, access our website at:
www.consumersenergy.comThe next storm update will be at approximately 11:00 AM Sunday morning.

[TimS_1]

Yep the cell service is still down at 2:45 for me in Clarkston. Just comes up emergency call only. Gusty day

[jhibbs1009]

No service here in the southern suburubs of Chicago either.

[TimS_1]

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TimS wrote:

Yep the cell service is still down at 2:45 for me in Clarkston. Just comes up emergency call only. Gusty day

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Just had a roof repair man that said he had AT&T got a signal and call at my house. Both my phones still show being out?

[Optimus Prime]

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TimS wrote:

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TimS wrote:

Yep the cell service is still down at 2:45 for me in Clarkston. Just comes up emergency call only. Gusty day

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Just had a roof repair man that said he had AT&T got a signal and call at my house. Both my phones still show being out?

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TimS,

Try powering both phones off for a minute or so and then back on. I heard that some phones lose signal and then don't like to re-aquire that signal when it is back.

[hpmsrm]

I read recently (don't remember where) that an FCC proposal to require installation of auxiliary power supplies at all cell towers was dropped recently....primarily because of very strong opposition from the phone companies.  Cost, of course, being the major factor.  BUT....aux. power sources sure might have come in handy in this situation I would think.

Phil

[Escapee]

With people depending more and more on cell phones in emergencies this may happen sooner than later. The hard part of the rule is in flooding situations. Many of the towers are not in the highest places and a generator would not help. It would be under water also. Some towers in low spots have the equipment  on platforms 5 or more feet off the ground.

Message Edited by Escapee on 12-28-2008 07:07 PM

[callmeox ACE - Wizard]

I believe that cell towers already have some type of auxiliary power supplies to help with short outages, but do not have sufficient backup power to last through an extended power outage.

The law that was shot down would have required 8 hours of aux power for each cell site.

[Escapee]

Eight hours works for a few sites but once the outage reaches a large geographic size such as after a minor huricane or ice storm you need generators at the cell sites and any supporting equipment sites.

[callmeox ACE - Wizard]

That's why I thought that the 8 hour requirement that the FCC asked for was silly considering the reasoning that they used for crafting the law. What's the difference between 4 or 8 hours when it is a major disaster like Ike or Katrina and power outages were measured in weeks.

The cell phone network outages after Katrina actually motivated the National Weather Service to purchase and install long range Ham Radio equipment at each of their weather offices around the country. After Katrina, amateur radio volunteers were among the few to get information in and out of the most damaged areas. I know quite a few guys who volunteered their time and equipment for free to help out both at home and down in the devastated areas. They practice often for such an occasion.

[Escapee]

Many of the cell towers are owned by a handful of tower companies. Even the ones owned by a cell phone company will lease space to a competitor. Anything less than 24 hours does not make a difference in a wide spread outage caused by mother nature. Even in the cases where the power grid itself is the failure it takes time to marshall the equipment and people to establish temporary power if there is not an onsite generator. If wide spread flooding is involved you are talking a completely different level of planning.  That planning must be build into the entire infrastructure from the CO to the tower. If any point is lost in the flood the service is out even if the tower site is itself is not touched. The weakest link problem.