Cell Networks Suffer Outages in Harvey’s Wake

Wireless networks along the Texas coast suffered outages as a result of Hurricane Harvey, federal regulators said, leaving customers in some counties with limited or no cellphone service. Rockport (TX) near where the hurricane made landfall, was the hardest hit, according to the Federal Communications Commission. About 95% of cell sites there aren’t working, the agency said Aug 27, meaning cellphone users relying on the sites can’t send or receive phone calls or data. Of the 7,804 cell sites across the region, 320 are out of service, or about 4%. At least 148,565 people in the path of the hurricane were without cable or wireline service on Aug 27, the FCC said.