AT&T's customized barge helping customers stay connected after disaster

TAMPA, Fla. - In an emergency, your phone is your lifeline.

"People want to get in contact with family members, let them know that they’re safe," Jim Salter, lead technology network support staff with AT&T, said.

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Salter said an AT&T customized barge will help customers stay connected after a disaster. It can carry equipment, generators, crews and more to areas that need it.

"Sometimes you have locations where bridges may get washed out during a storm, and we can get assets to the island through loading it on the landing craft," Salter said.

He used the Sanibel Causeway after Hurricane Ian as an example.

"From Hurricane Ian, we had several challenges with getting equipment back and forth between Pine Island, Sanibel and Punta Rassa ramp, and the biggest challenge was logistics, having equipment on a barge, getting in line. There were several contractors in line for one little barge. So, we came up with the idea of getting a landing craft, and with the landing craft, we're now able to transport our assets," Salter said.

The 45-foot-long landing craft is capable of carrying up to 20,000 pounds.

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"We’re in the business of providing connectivity. So, it's very important," Salter said.

The company also made improvements to the rest of its fleet, like the hydrotrek, a vehicle that runs on land and water. AT&T upgraded the technology in several of its equipment in its Marine Operations Fleet.

"When our first responders can't get into areas to determine whether there's damage or there's fatalities, we need to be able to provide the service to those first responders to be able to react quickly," Travis Profitt, Director of AT&T Network Services and the Network Disaster Recovery Team, said. "So, the faster we are, the faster resources can come in, and the community can rise back up," Profitt said.

AT&T crews said they debrief after every disaster they respond to about how to restore service faster, and are actively purchasing assets to help with that.

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