Keeping the Lines of Business Communications Open During Disaster Situations

It used to be that, during most disasters, phone service was alive and ringing. Using ring tone service from power-protected central offices, home and business customers could rest assured that their phones would be their lifeline to the outside world. Today, this perception is not reality.

Recent years have seen the emergence of electric-powered telecommunications systems. Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs), Channel Banks, servers, even individual station phones, now require electric power to remain connected. Without power, the lines of communication shut down: customers cannot place orders, employees are without direction, and business operations grind to a standstill.

In many ways, restoring telecommunications service is an essential first step towards disaster recovery. For many, the immediacy, the real-time nature, and the reassurance of the human voice is more vital than Internet access, emails, or video streams. It can truly be said that, when your phone system is working, so is your business.

How does one keep the lines of communications open? How does a Hawaii business move beyond batteries and generators to prepare for the long overdue, business-killing, Hurricane Iniki-type outage that will someday occur in Hawaii?

Listed below are eight ideas to help your business avoid the outages that disaster situations can cause.

Diversity increases the chances that individual services will work during disasters. Invest in a variety of devices, networks, and/or vendors to increase your telecommunications options.

THE LESSON HERE?

Diversity eliminates single points of failure.

Honolulu Advertiser headline 10/26/01: "Accidental Cable Splice Silences 200,000 Phones." When a Verizon worker accidentally cut a fiber cable in the Kalihi central office on the island of Oahu, the repercussions were felt around Hawaii from Kailua to Kula. Service was disrupted from 9AM until 4:30PM. Many businesses, including First Hawaiian Bank's operations center, were affected. The Bank of Hawaii was not. Why? The bank had invested in diverse routing utilizing service from a second central office which routed calls through the Bank's "back door." Alternatively, wireless telecommunications options could have provided a second option by maintaining connectivity to the network cloud.

THE LESSON HERE?

Fiber cuts happen. Introduce diverse geographic-and technology-based routes into your business.

Floods, power outages or even flu outbreaks can mean empty or understaffed offices and call centers. Forward your calls or route them to a network announcement in such situations. Telecom companies offer preprogrammed telephone trees that can be reprogrammed in minutes via the phone or Internet.

THE LESSON HERE?

If you can't answer the call, send it to someone who can.

How do you assemble a disaster team when roads are washed out and key people are dispersed? Prearrange a disaster teleconference. Register names and telephone numbers with a teleconference company. When needed, an operator can call and assemble your team on a conference bridge. Note: Most teleconference companies will charge only when a call is made.

THE LESSON HERE?
Make it easy for key people to meet together.

During disaster situations telephone networks regulate phone traffic allowing 90% out of and 10% into the disaster region. Callers to your office are likely to receive an "all circuits are busy" signal. Cellular callers may not fare much better as traffic surges overload cellular networks. (Following the 10/15/06 Hawaii quake, Verizon Wireless experienced a 250% increase in call volume.) IP telephony, which bypasses telephone networks, offers a third, perhaps more available, option for call processing.

THE LESSON HERE?

Take advantage of alternate networks such as VOIP and wireless for disaster call processing.

Disrupted utility service and disaster situations go hand-in-hand. If power is lost to your business how long will it be until your PBX and other telecommunications equipment go dark? Investigate solutions such as Hosted PBX which are powered at the local telephone central office. In the event of a power outage, generators and batteries keep these telecommunications services working. Alternatively, invest in non-power dependent, analog phones for your phone system as connectivity lifelines.

THE LESSON HERE?

House critical equipment in facilities served by back up power supplies.

Disaster may close one office while other corporate offices remain open. Services such as VOIP telephony allow employees to work wherever they can access the corporate intranet. Mobility is enhanced by access to wireless LAN/WANs, alternate gateways, and softphone applications on PDAs.

THE LESSON HERE?

Use services such as hosted PBX that allow workers to work remotely

Mobile systems using analog, digital, VOIP telephony, wireless, and satellite technologies can provide connectivity for first responders. Utility trucks can be driven to remote locations to provide connectivity to virtually anywhere. VOIP technology can connect into an existing land-based system for access to the telephone network.

THE LESSON HERE?

Take technology to where technology is needed.