T-Mobile & AT&T ink temporary deal to share networks in Hurricane Sandy aftermath

Written by: Tony Simons on October 31, 2012.

Hurricane Sandy — aka ‘Frankenstorm’, aka ‘The Perfect Storm’ — has come and gone, leaving much of New York and New Jersey destroyed in its path. Not only has she accounted for at least 50 deaths thus far, but it’s predicted the storm did billions of dollars worth of damage in the affected areas, and there are still a great number of people trapped in the areas worst hit.

To make things worse, cellphone coverage has been affected to the point where networks have struggled to keep up with the high amounts of communication being attempted in these areas. To help lighten the load a bit and provide some much-needed relief, T-Mobile and AT&T have struck a deal to share their GSM and 3G networks in the area with no roaming fees or plan changes while the networks come back, with the best-functioning network taking precedence in any given connection.

We’re not sure when networks will be up to full speed again, but obviously they’ll be working to get things back up and running as quick as possible. Until then, this is definitely a commendable effort on the part of the two rival carriers. In a natural disaster, such as this, ensuring communication is an extremely important factor — one that could make the difference between life and death in some cases, so we’re definitely glad to see these two working together to keep people safe.

If you’re on the East Coast, close to the areas where Hurricane Sandy did the most damage, our prayers are with you. If you’re reading this now, it’s good to know you’re in an area with a data connection and that you’re in good enough spirits to read the news.

Here’s the full presser:

AT&T and T-Mobile Open Networks to Customers of Both Carriers in New York and New Jersey

DALLAS & BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the wake of destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, AT&T and T-Mobile are taking extraordinary measures to make sure our customers can stay in touch.

AT&T and T-Mobile have entered into an agreement to enable roaming on their networks to customers of both companies in the heavily impacted areas and where capacity is available and for subscribers with a compatible device.

AT&T and T-Mobile customers will be able to place calls just as they normally would, but their calls will be carried by whichever network is most operational in their area. This will be seamless for AT&T and T-Mobile customers with no change to their current rate plans or service agreements even if the phone indicates the device is attached to the other carrier’s network.

T-Mobile and AT&T both utilize network technology based on GSM and UMTS standards, which allows for this sharing of voice and data traffic.

Via: Engadget

Meet the Author: Tony Simons (1367 Posts)

Tony is a mobile enthusiast with a passion for Android smartphones and tablets. He is the Site Founder and Editor-in-Chief, and can typically be found crashing a public Hangout on Google+.