In south Queens, one local leader wants the lines of communication open in the event of another superstorm.
After Sandy, thousands of the region’s residents were left without a lifeline for weeks, some for months – power was out, and cable and land-line service was gone as was cell reception.
Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder has hopes that cell phone service providers, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, can build stronger cell towers and infrastructure throughout the region that will withstand the impact of any future weather disasters.
He will meet with Verizon and AT&T on Thursday to discuss upgrades and changes made thus far in preparation for another storm.
“Our inability to communicate via cell phone compounded the many issues brought on by Sandy,” Goldfeder said. “Communication is vital during a disaster.”
During the superstorm, the severe winds and flooding knocked out many cell towers.
“We cannot wait for another disaster to take action,” Goldfeder said. “Every company has a responsibility to their customers to invest in their infrastructure and towers to ensure that service will remain in place during our next potential disaster.”
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