Verizon Wireless has deployed a temporary
cell site, or Cell on Light Truck (COLT), at Centennial Elementary
School in South Fargo to enhance
coverage and capacity of its wireless voice and data network in this
area. The school is a staging area for first responders to the flooding Red River which is predicted to crest this
weekend.
In addition
to deploying the COLT, the Verizon Wireless network team has added
capacity to cell sites in the Fargo
area and is monitoring the network 24/7 to add additional capacity as
needed. All cell sites have remained on the air in rising flood areas in
North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
The COLT is
a self-contained mobile cell site specifically designed for rapid and
short-term emergency response. This temporary cell site is equivalent to
the highest-capacity stationary site presently in North Dakota and is able to process thousands
of calls every hour. Verizon Wireless maintains a fleet of mobile cell
sites for response in emergency situations, such as the floods in the
Red River Valley.
Verizon
Wireless' nationwide voice and data network reliability is augmented by
these temporary cell sites and other industry-leading redundancy and
maintenance measures, which have proven particularly valuable during
natural disasters and other emergencies. These measures include battery
back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all
network switching facilities and many cell site locations.