AT&T will conduct a five-day network disaster recovery (NDR) exercise beginning tomorrow in Chicago to evaluate how well it can respond to a simulated disaster that destroys a telephone switching center. The exercises begin with an initial call-out to NDR team members to assemble at the disaster site to prepare for the arrival of AT&T semi-trailers containing switching equipment and self-contained or dedicated power and environmental systems. Once the trailers arrive at the exercise site, the team can roll out up to 15 miles of coaxial and fiber optic cable to interconnect the individual components in the trailers to match the unique configuration of the damaged switching facility. Temporary microwave towers and satellite earth stations also can be erected. The trailers generally travel by road but could be air-lifter or shipped by rail. AT&T said it has strategically located such units in warehouses across the country. Since 1990, AT&T’s NDR team has been activated 12 times in response to disasters. The company said it has invested more than $300 million in its NDR program during the past 10 years.
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- Following the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, most AT&T local business service in southern Manhattan was restored in 46 hours and AT&T business customers were able to participate in the re-opening of the New York financial markets the week after the disaster.