ARTICLE - REMOTE MOBILITY ZONE

FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR SERVICE: MA BELL'S REMOTE MOBILITY ZONE
(Forbes) - By William Pentland

For the first time in a quite long time, there is bad news for natural disasters and good news for those of us forced to endure them.

Soon, emergency managers will soon be able to descend into the chaos and confusion of post-disaster settings like those that prevailed in earthquake-ravaged Haiti last year equipped with reliable cell-phone service.

Thank you, AT&T.

The telecommunications giant has yet again vindicated the wisdom of de-regulating the telecommunications industry by rolling out modular, portable cellular antennas – called Remote Mobility Zone systems – that will allow corporate and government customers to provide their own wireless coverage in remote or disaster-struck areas. The Remote Mobility Zone’s key capabilities:

Services up to 14 simultaneous calls and data at less-than-broadband speeds.

Extends coverage up to half a mile from the unit.

Satellite dish allows operations independent of broadband service.

The cost of the units will range from $15,000 to $45,000, plus some monthly fees.

Currently, cellphone companies restore service knocked out by natural disasters by sending out company-owned trucks that can serve as mobile cell towers. While this system may work after a winter storm hits major metropolitan areas in New York or Massachusetts, it is virtually useless in places like Haiti where there is hardly enough food and clean water – not to mention fuel, trucks and skilled technicians to operate them.

By contrast, AT&T’s Remote Mobility Zone systems would allow first responders to establish service coverage on the fly with simple systems small enough to fit in a modestly sized suitcase – literally. AT&T offers one model that packs into a suitcase, with a satellite dish carried separately. The unit requires outside power, such as a generator, to work.