TMCnews Featured Article
September 09, 2011
AT&T's Approach to Disaster Recovery Highlights Its Role as a Smarter Utility
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
In the quest for the creation of the smarter utility, providers need to focus on their response in emergency situations. AT&T (News 
- Alert) has a proven track record in its ability to respond to catastrophic events. Its involvement in 9/11 especially highlighted how this smarter utility works to keep people connected.
As captured on this AT&T page, AT&T’s network disaster recovery approach includes a NDR Team, made up of AT&T managers, technicians and engineers specially trained in the physical recovery of the AT&T network. This smarter utility team leverages employees from across the United States who participate in recovery exercises every year to sharpen their skills with the use of recovery processes and equipment.
The telecommunications equipment necessary for this smarter utility to recover a destroyed AT&T Central Office is transported to the identified recovery site using specifically-designed technology trailers. Each trailer houses a component of the network technology that would normally be supported through the permanent office and supports dedicated or self-contained power and environmental capabilities to perform regardless of the circumstances.
The mobile recovery equipment used to respond to disasters includes 5ESS switch recovery provided by a single 5ESS trailer or a three-trailer set; access trailers to allow vendors to connect their equipment; AT&T Global Network (AGN (News - Alert)) element recovery; ATM Network Switch Recovery Trailer, Cellular Network Recovery to recover or increase network capacity; CNI Hub to recover offices with a Core Director Intelligent Optical Switch; DACS or Digital Access Cross-Connect Systems; digital radio; DMS Switch; DTMS/FASTAR trailer to link recovery site by satellite to the AT&T Network Operations Center; Frame Relay Switch; Inter-city Network Services; IP Recovery; Lightwave; portable radio towers; and Regen trailers for signal amplification.
Before the disasters on 9/11, this smarter utility never had to deploy the NDR Team as the company had never lost an entire central office. On 9/11, AT&T activated the NDR Team for a full-scale disaster response. Within 48 hours of arriving in northern New Jersey on September 12, the recovery equipment for this smarter utility was positioned and tuned up.
AT&T’s humanitarian efforts extend beyond its response to the disasters on 9/11. The smarter utility provided its equipment and team members to respond to smaller network problems in situations where flooding, fire, earthquake, train derailment or other disasters have occurred. Mobile satellite capabilities were also extended in response to the coal mine explosion in Montcoal, West Virginia and flash flooding in Arkansas.
To continue to perform as a smarter utility, AT&T has a clear focus on the continuity of operations planning. This focus ensures the company is ready when disaster strikes. Its responsive team provides Wireless Priority Service (WPS) to provide first responders priority access; Continuity of Operations Communications eliminates the barriers presented by varying devices; and the Continuity of Operations Networks Services to maintain operations during an emergency.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO… follow us on Twitter
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell
Internet Telephony Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
CUSTOMER 
Cloud Computing Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
IoT EVOLUTION MAGAZINE
