AT&T Creates Portable Cell Site
AT&T has a new offering – Remote Mobility Zone – that provides mobile voice and data services in the absence of wireless coverage in remote areas or for emergency situations. Designed to support essential communications, Remote Mobility Zone allows organizations to set up their own cell sites during a disaster scenario.
According to the company, with AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, users can set up a cell site in less than 30 minutes.
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.
AT&T offers several options of Remote Mobility Zone solutions:
- 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. This can help enhance business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities by enabling sensitive operations to proceed even in loss-of-service situations.
- The “Fly-away” solution 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.
- “Park and Use,” 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 AT&T Remote Mobility Zone can use their existing AT&T handsets with all three of the solutions listed above. Additionally, in disaster or emergency conditions, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone clients with AT&T Wireless Priority Service can choose to prioritize certain cellular traffic to ensure that key personnel can access the network.