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Business, government and public safety agencies could be better prepared for natural or man-made disasters with the help of AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, the company said. The offering provides mobile voice and data services in the absence of wireless coverage. Designed to support essential communications, the Remote Mobility Zone allows organizations to set up their own cell sites during a disaster scenario. AT&T claims it is the first carrier to supply a customer-deployable model for mobility recovery to help with disaster recovery and business continuity efforts.
The Remote Mobility Zone is also suited for organizations that operate in remote locations where AT&T holds licensed spectrum, but in which wireless coverage may not be available. AT&T Mobility Vanguard Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T, can install permanent cell sites for customers that work in these areas, providing mobile voice and data service.
“In the pivotal first minutes of a natural or man-made disaster, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone provides a solution to help maintain critical mobile communications,” said Chris Hill, vice president of advanced mobility solutions for AT&T’s business solutions division. “With AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, users can set up a cell site in less than 30 minutes.”
AT&T offers several options of Remote Mobility Zone solutions, including fixed site deployment establishes a mounted cell site for use as a backup communications system or as a primary network in zones without wireless network coverage. The company said this could help enhance business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities by enabling sensitive operations to proceed even in loss-of-service situations.
The company also offers a “fly-away” solution that packs a small cell site into a suitcase, offering first responders a transportable system that can bring voice and data coverage to an area where disaster has knocked out communication channels. These small cell sites can extend connectivity up to one half of a mile in any direction from the suitcase site. Created for use by police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders, the Fly-away AT&T Remote Mobility Zone option is currently available to government agencies and personnel.
Finally, the “Park and Use,” platform, designed specifically for government use, integrates small cell sites into vehicles, allowing users to drive to locations without wireless coverage and activate service then and there. Roof-mounted satellite antennas further enhance communications on the move.
Customers that choose to protect their communications with the Remote Mobility Zone can use their existing AT&T handsets with all three of the solutions listed above. Additionally, in disaster or emergency conditions, Remote Mobility Zone clients with the company’s Wireless Priority Service can choose to prioritize certain cellular traffic to ensure that key personnel can access the network.
In addition to AT&T’s portfolio of solutions that help mobilize government and business, the company offers an array of business continuity services, encompassing disaster planning, risk management, recovery preparedness and communications readiness. AT&T’s Business Continuity Services provide customers with business-impact analysis, risk assessments, enterprise hosting, cloud computing and application services, a continuum of storage solutions, high-availability network solutions and network and IT security solutions.