There is a trade off between operating networks that are able to keep operating in the face of disasters and keeping down costs. For example, a 24 hr battery will yield a more robust BTS than a 8 hour battery. But as the FCC initiated discussion revealed, 24 hr batteries impose additional costs on operators. Local rules in some cases do not allow enough space for 24 hr batteries. The issue is, no doubt, important. The way to get the right trade-off is through consultation and discussion, not diktat.
Three months after Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast, the federal government is trying to determine how to keep cellphone and Internet services running in another natural disaster.
The Federal Communications Commission met with representatives of phone carriers, public utilities and city governments in New York on Tuesday to discuss what happened to broadband and cell services during Hurricane Sandy and how to make sure the widespread disruptions do not happen again.
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