The Atlantic hurricane season, which has yet to yield any major storms – knock on wood – kicked off on June 1 and runs until Nov. 30. Regulators at the Federal Communications Commission have published a number of tips for how to stay connected in the event of hurricane.
For folks who depend on landline telephones, the FCC suggests knowing about your type of service, specifically whether it’s voice-over-Internet Protocol, or copper based. This is a significant distinction because it could impact whether you have service during an electrical outage.
If you have traditional telephone service, it may work during a power outage but you may have to use a phone with a cord rather than a cordless phone.
If your landline has battery backup, it’s a good idea to occasionally test the backup battery to become familiar with how long it should last. Also know how to replace the battery and have a spare on hand.
For people who use a mobile phone only, charge your phone ahead of a storm hitting and keep an extra battery and a car charger handy. It’s also a good idea to charge up your laptop, tablet or other mobile device. Aside from providing another form of connectivity, you could also charge your phone from a laptop battery if necessary.
Authorities ask that, in the event of a storm, limit non-emergency phone calls to free up network capacity for emergency communications. If you do make a phone call, keep it quick to save the battery on your mobile device. For non-emergency communications, try text messaging as an alternative to placing a call.
Another battery saving tip is to dim the screen on your wireless device, shut down Wi-Fi or Bluetooth when you’re not using it and kill any applications that may be running in the background.
The FCC also recommends waiting 1o seconds before redialing a call as placing multiple calls in quick succession can increase network congestion.
Limit calls to 911 for emergencies only.
