Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!snorkelwacker!mit-eddie!rutgers!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: myerston@cts.sri.com Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Earthquake - Lessons Learned Message-ID: Date: 20 Oct 89 16:50:00 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: SRI Intl, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025 [(415)326-6200] Lines: 49 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 465, message 1 of 8 The following is my opinion of the earthquake aftermath based on talking to many fellow Telecom folks in the area (SL-1 Users, TCA and many vendors): o I found 0 instances of properly installed PBXs and other gear suffering major damage. I am sure there are some but either the whole building has been evacuated or the damage has not been discovered. o MANY people had power-related problems beyond the capacity of the battery backup. Many PBXs do not handle power loss and subsequent restoral well. Many cards fail shortly after the event. o Traffic has to be controlled in the Network or at the Central Office. No amount of training or lecturing is going to stop users from checking on their family and friends immediately after an event. o Central dispatch/Trouble Numbers, usually 800- numbers are useless in a major event. Even when you can call in to them, they cannot call IN to the appropriate people in your area. Same for remote paging. LOCAL contacts are a must. o Cellular overloaded worse than land lines. o Carriers who controlled traffic took (in my opinion) a bum rap. The resellers mentioned in previous messages were able to complete calls only because the underlying carrier maintained some measure of Network Discipline. o One interesting side effect of telecom problems was the issue of ATMs. Many people really on them almost exclusively for ready cash. Loss of service (computer or line) is attributed to "the phone lines". o I was called by several present (and former!) interconnect contractors offering help within 24 hours. Most had more man-power on hand than required. MITEL is running large ads offering 24-hour turn-around on repairs. o Radio, I think, did great. Not to much panic or exageration. Amazingly enough from the time I got home about two hours after the earthquake I was able to watch local TV coverage using an outside antenna. While some stations came and went, at least one was on the air at all times. [I live in the South Bay 20 - 30 miles from the epicenter, we lost stuff from shelves etc but did NOT lose power through all of this]. All-in-all it seems like telecom was more part of the solution than of the problem. Of the people I know I would say almost all are now fully operational including the ones in SF after power restoral.