Cellphone Problems

So here's the deal with cellphones.  Apparently any cellphone with a 504 area code cannot receive calls.  Now that I'm out of the disaster zone I can make calls to non-504 numbers.

I can't access my voicemail at all (it's a 504 based number).  I can, however reliably text message people, even those w/ 504 area code.  I called Sprint to see about switching my phone to a new area code.  This presents problems:  (1) I have to match my area code to my mailing address (note to self: quickly decide where you are going to receive snailmail); (2) I would have to switch all my kids phone numbers too, which is not a problem except that their phones immediately won't work and I'll have to
physically have their phone to reprovision them.

So, here's my question: can Sprint and the other wireless carriers fix this problem soon, or is it better for everyone with a 504 area code to get a new phone number?  Obviously, no one wants to switch numbers when there is no easy way to communicate the new information to friends and family.

Comments

[Stanley Feldman]

First, get rid of Sprint! They don't have to do anything except provide necessary service under tough conditions. RED TAPE!

[Tom Siehl]

If anyone needs to do text messaging,
there is an easy way to do it to any cell phone.
just send an e-mail with this in the TO line
in place of the e-mail address:

(yourcellphonenumber)@teleflip.com.

Ex (513-555-5555)@teleflip.com

The e-mail will be converted to a text message
and sent to any cell service phone that can
handle text messaging. You do not need to
know the provider or use their web site.

www.teleflip.com

I got to this site from Buzznovation. I met Buzz
at High Tecc this summer. Buzz told us about
Teleflip.

Tom Siehl
Lebanon Ohio

[Mike strock]

Like Tom, I've used teleflip in the past and it works great. This is probably well known, but don't put the () around the phone number, it should be like this:

4255551212@teleflip.com

Hope that helps.

I have Verizon and my area code doesn't match with my mailing address. Found you through friend on livejournal.com

I have a friend with a 504 area code Verizon Wireless phone and she says it has been working for incoming calls sporadically today (it was not working at all from the hurricane until now) I'm therefore not sure if it would be worth the trouble of switching the phone number.

I'm not sure that you've got to have a matching area code. Maybe only one of the phones has to match. I have Sprint and have spent the last year working in Philadelphia (215) with a phone I got in Delaware (302) using a phone number from Richmond (804) that I don't plan to change with my new job in Washington (202)..... They may have a policy on local area codes, but what they don't know doesn't hurt them. So... if you want to change one number, change it -- or better yet, just add another phone to your family plan then when Sprint fixes or reroutes its exchange in your area code you won't have a problem with your old phones...

[E. McPan]

I'm in the same boat except our phones are based on the coast in MS. We can't receive calls but I've been able to make calls out. Our text isn't as reliable, though. I heard that at least on the MS coast, they're getting cell towers put in (Nextel and Verizon) faster than land lines will be available. Our zip has rarely matched our area code, and it's never been a problem with Verizon.

[Mike McDonald]

Cingular, Sprint, et all just don't want to bothered or their entire network management infrastructure is as rotten as their service. For this level of catastrophy they could open an emergency area code and migrate everyone that has temporarily relocated outside Louisiana to receive incoming calls. Repairing the coastal hardware installations is only half the problem.

I am a Cingular customer currently in Little Rock, AR. There are no hardware issues here but I can't receive calls... that is strictly a software issue. One they don't seem to be able or willing to address.

FYIW, I spent 34 years in communications including stints as the AT&T Network manager in New Orleans and later selling much of the equipemnt used to operate and manage networks of this type.

[Pat Jack]

Mobile phones users in Katrina affected Area Codes,
(especially prepay users) are demographically and geographically,
out of minutes, have no airtime, on second batteries.
The lucky have some capability to re-charge.

Big Mobile Phone providers plan a release of phone cards at the Astrodome.
It's a media circus.

Big Mobile Phone providers are proposing a limited number of methods
to deal with a National Catastrophe impacting oil and food exports and imports.
The oil reserves themselves are in and amongst this destruction in the salt domes.

Old School, the phone companies could easily pump free minutes into all phones
with the same programs they send you all that spam with.

An immidiate and global distribution of FREE MINUTES and FREE AIRTIME
to all phones in the Katrina devestated Area codes and Katrina evacuation routes
must be implemented now. Out of minutes = no communication = disorganization

Physical distribution of cards will create a fast and dangerous trade market.
The people who distribute these cards could seed more volitility into this situation.
The people distributing these cards in the long-term are in a dangerous physical situation.

The people of this nation affected by National Security and National Disaster issues
as a result of Hurricaine Katrina must have MANY to MANY communication NOW.

Vendor locations for pre-pay are shut down,
phone cards along evacuation routes are sold-out or in limited supply.
These refugees don't have, or cannot get to, prepay cash.

Our phone service is so capitalized and compartmentalized,
it seems very inneffective at this time compared to a wide open
100% free phone system. And I'm not advocating a 100%
free phone market of any sort, I just want you to think
about the difference it would make and how close
we can get to that, in the shortest amount of time.
For the purposes of Katrina RESCUE and RELIEF.

Pre-pay Mobile Phone user Market closely mimic those
Americans victimized by Natural Disasters.
They are prey to SCAMS and FRAUD.

Young people with prepay 'Virgin Mobile' phones as well as
the markets of Tracone, prepay markets, are not being afforded
the opportunity to use their EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION DEVICES,
especially in the long-term. These markets must be sustained
with the Automatic scripting of free minutes pumped into the phones,
globally with no regard for economic strata, race, etc..

Again, the pre-pay Market is made up of the poor, elderly, infirm,
handicapped, low and fixed income, children, etc ...

The phones are lifelines to order in the short and longterm.

The FCC must require all phone companies to fill all phones in the
area codes affected by Katrina, especially flooded New Orleans,
with free minutes. This must be done globally without
regard for race or economic class. The AUTOMATED scripting
on Mobile phone service providers administrative computers to
push free minutes and free airtime globally to all Mobile Phones in Katrina
affected areas is the American thing to do. Push the free minutes
to prepay and to CORPORATE customers as well. Give them to everyone,
now. Let this place communicate and continue RESCUE, continue RELIEF,
and continue to REBUILD in the longterm.

Alltell.com is continuing to produce an organized, informed and effective
response to Hurricaine Katrina Relief issues.

http://www.alltell.com/corporate/media/0905hurricanerelief.html

Other Mobile Phone Providers are thinking and acting, check their homepages.

HERE ARE THE EMAILS for the FCC bigwigs,
email them to get free minutes for Katrina devestated area codes -

KJMWEB@fcc.gov
Kathleen.Abernathy@fcc.gov
Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov

Copy and paste those emails into the -TO- box of your email.

I don't want to attack the phone companies.
I just want all of us to send some suggestions as to how they can help.
Ask the Mobile Phone companies for what we need, free airtime,
unemcumbered with their marketing schemes.

Email the customer service departments of all the Mobile Phone
companies you can think of. Gather their customer service EMAILS,
their Media reps emails. Forward all of this.

Check knowledgeable communities on the internet that address
the needs of Katrina Victims and Refugees. Ask the phone companies
for what we need, free airtime, unemcumbered with their marketing schemes.

Ask the Mobile Phone companies to establish an account to
DONATE FREE MINUTES from YOUR PLAN.
Ask them to MATCH YOUR DONATION.

Thus, any injured or incapacitated person with a phone, and any phone
they might FIND that is working will get them through. Many to many
communication.

Auto location of the looters who hunker down can be facilitated,
they can be saved also, rather than slaughtered.

Additional resuce is enabled which is critical as resuce options
continue to approache the point of no return for some stranded infirm, etc..

People will come through the network.
That's what this is about right, people!

Where there are discarded phones, their are babies, children,
women and men. The phones need to have minutes.

Guard dogs can hear phones dialing, ringing, etc..

Guard electronics can sniff and locate the phones, as well as the
ability of a Guard dog to smell a warm cell phone, the warm battery
and it's characteristic smell.

These phones are lifelines and key to restoring order.

A lot of young and elderly will die of dehydration in the next days.
Refugees need to FIND THE RESOURCES, they need minutes.
Many of them are lost, out of state, with no transportation.
The Katrina refugees need free minutes and free airtime.
Those needing rescue need those minutes.

The automated and global scripting of a push of free minutes to all cell phones
will most importantly transcend the racial and class structures.

This is DISASTER RELIEF and should never
approach the line over which NATURAL DISASTER PROFITEERING
is approached, lonterm or shorterm, by any company.

Jockying for market position at the demise of the American People,
will be observed if it is present.

Schemes to give out free phones to lock in desparate customers in the
months ahead are PUTRID. Schemes to get customer database information
for Phone Marketing departments is off limits here.

Keep it on the up and up, script the automated push of the free minutes
to all Mobile Phones in the Katrina devestated area codes and evacuation routes,
gloabally. Now.