Verizon Works to Restore Service At Manhattan Network Center

📅 September 13, 2001 - Verizon (verizon.com) began work to restore phone service to a major switching center that was damaged as a result of Tuesday'sattacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

Public safety officials this morning allowed the company to re-enter theoffice which sustained structural and water damage. The center, located at140 West Street, is adjacent to the devastated area.
"We are still assessing the damage and will work around the clock to restorefull service to affected customers as quickly as possible," said LarryBabbio, Verizon vice chairman and president. Babbio provided an update onthe health of Verizon's networks at a 1 p.m. news conference yesterday.Babbio stressed that while some services to southern Manhattan are impactedby yesterday's attacks, the rest of Verizon's networks on the East Coast andnationwide continue to operate normally.
In the New York City and Washington, D.C. areas, calls today continued torun at about 340 million calls, nearly double the normal, he said. "Ournetwork is designed to provide back-up systems, and that redundantcapability kept service up for many customers who might otherwise have beenout of service," said Babbio. "A good example is New York City's 9-1-1,which is completely redundant and has been working throughout this tragedy."
The West Street facility contains four call-processing computers serving200,000 access lines and the equivalent of 3 million data circuits in lowerManhattan. Babbio said that while some circuits that serve the Wall Streetarea go through the building, the company was attempting to bypass the WestStreet facility for these circuits. Babbio said the company does not have anestimate on how long it will take to bring the center fully back online.
"The building has three or four major holes - that means water and dirt havegotten in to sensitive computer gear. Babbio said the company also ispumping water from the basement so that it can restore power to the buildingusing generators. Additional switching equipment is on standby. Babbio saidVerizon has provided hundreds of additional lines for Bellevue and St.Vincent's Hospitals, the New York Police Department and other emergencycenters. Babbio said the company has accounted for the vast majority of its488 employees assigned to the World Trade Center and 40 employees at thePentagon.
Verizon maintains certain communications systems for the U.S. Department ofDefense. The Pentagon continues to have communications, however, since themilitary owns this equipment, Babbio referred questions about damage thereto the Pentagon. Verizon is providing additional wireline and cellularcircuits to emergency workers and investigators at the site of thePennsylvania plane crash.
The Verizon's wireless network is operating well nationwide. In southernManhattan, 10 Verizon Wireless cell sites remain out of service, but demandis currently being handled by neighboring cells. During the peak ofyesterday's emergency, Verizon Wireless experienced 50 percent to 100percent more traffic than normal, nationwide, on its wireless network.
Currently, volume levels have returned to normal as have blocked and lostcalls, even in southern Manhattan.
Verizon Wireless has made 5,000 phones available to emergency responseauthorities. Currently, 800 of them are in use by various authorities.Verizon bolstered its usual force of more than 700 operators serving theNortheast by 50 percent. Over 1,000 operators handled more than four timesthe normal number of Directory Assistance calls early Wednesday, and 1 - 1/2times the normal calls to "0" services like collect and credit cardservices. Calls to regular operators were being answered in 2 seconds orless, to assure that trapped victims dialing "0" could reach help quickly.
Verizon took a number of steps to assist customers affected by the attacks.The company began offering free local calling from all of its 4,000 curbsidepayphones in Manhattan. The company's GTE Airfone unit also will removecharges for all calls made from aircraft on its phones from 9 a.m. to noonTuesday.