Network Readiness

There's been a lot of speculation since Sept. 11 about whether a major telecom facility would ever be targeted by terrorists. AT&T is going a step further today as it begins a five-day network disaster recovery drill. The exercise will test the company's response to a simulated disaster that destroys a Chicago telephone switching center.

AT&T has invested more than $300 million in its disaster recovery program, which includes a team of more than 100 managers, engineers and technicians, as well as a fleet of more than 150 self-contained trailers housing the equipment and components of an AT&T switching center.

"The scope and scale of AT&T's NDR drill is unique in the industry," said AT&T Business Chicago regional vice president Tim Akers. "But the investment we're making helps ensure our people and our network can provide, even in the event of a disaster, the availability, recoverability and security of our customers' services, applications and data."

Since 1990, the NDR team has been activated 12 times in response to disasters, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Northridge (LA) earthquake in 1994. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City, most AT&T local business service in southern Manhattan was restored in 46 hours, and AT&T business customers were ready for the re-opening of the New York financial markets the week after the disaster.