Jeff Carlson Reveals How Cell Carriers Handle Disasters and Mega-Events

Our friend Jeff Carlson has been writing for CNET for a while, with several recent articles that are fascinating for those curious about how our communications infrastructure handles natural disasters and large-scale public events. At the Las Vegas F1 race, he spoke with AT&T about FirstNet, which provides dedicated spectrum for first responders in the event that primary communication channels are overwhelmed. He visited T-Mobile’s headquarters to see (and photograph) the company’s emergency response equipment: big trucks (SatCOLTs—satellite cells on light trucks), trailers (SatCOWs—satellite cells on wheels), drones, and RVs, among other things. Then, the recent record-breaking floods in the Pacific Northwest gave him a chance to ask T-Mobile’s emergency response teams what keeps them awake at night. It’s reassuring to know these communication alternatives exist—I suspect most of us never think about them until our phones stop working.

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