WASHINGTON – Verizon says the company is prepared for reliable landline and wireless service during the East Coast super storm.
After June’s derecho, 911 service was disrupted across Northern Virginia, when Verizon’s backup power sources failed.
“One of our biggest concerns last time, in addition to a failure of our 911 service was also our inability to communicate with Verizon,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova says.
“This time they have assured us that all of those things are taken care of,” she adds.
Verizon says it has checked generators and other backups throughout Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and the rest of the area threatened by the storm.
“As part of our storm preparation, we have taken measures to test the generators throughout our region…we are topping off our generators with fuel,” Verizon’s Harry Mitchell says.
If needed, Verizon says it can bring in extra crews from other parts of the region and the country.
Mitchell reminds that the phone companies can only get to work repairing downed lines after power companies complete their work.
Old fashioned hard-line phones will work even without power as long as phone lines aren’t severed. Most cordless phones only work with power, even if the phone lines are working. Mitchell says FIOS customers who lose power should have about eight hours of battery-powered phone service to a hard-line phone as long as the FIOS lines remain in tact, but cable and internet services should not be expected to function without electricity.
Customers who experience service problems can contact Verizon at 1-800-837-4966 or visit www.verizon.com/outage.
For information about power outages in your area, contact your utility company:
- Pepco: 1-877-737-2662
- Dominion Power: 1-866-366-4357
- BGE: 1-877-778-2222
- Potomac Edison: 1-800- 255-3443
- NOVEC: 1-888-335- 0500
- SMECO: 1-877-747-6326
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