FCC Chairman Julius Genchowski held a press briefing this afternoon to give an update on communications infrastructure after Hurricane Irene battered much of the East Coast. The good news is that while some cable systems, wireless and wireline providers are out of service, Genachowski says, “there hasn’t been major damage to our communications infrastructure.” He also reports that “broadcast and radio are largely unaffected.”
I have family in Northern New Jersey who I checked in with yesterday and today. They saw a lot of wind and rain, and were certainly glad that they could rely on local television coverage all night long. They also said that their weather radio reliably went off regularly throughout the night as the Weather Service issued alerts.
Even though Irene’s impact wasn’t as severe as many feared, there still was a lot of damage, and some people were injured or lost their lives. Our condolences go out to those who lost loved ones during the storm.
