Awaiting reentry
Even if they won't implement WiMax for some months, local wireless carriers will likely replace their damaged cell sites with the latest gear available, allowing for the fastest data transmission and the most capacity, says Craig Mathias, founder of wireless consultancy Farpoint Group. "When they replace the equipment, they're going to put in newer equipment. I guarantee it'll be 3G equipment."

In the meantime, mobile-phone carriers, including Cingular Wireless, are rebuilding where they can. On Sept. 1, Atlanta-based Cingular, the largest U.S. cellular provider, said it had almost completely restored service in Mobile, Ala., and Baton Rouge, La.

Disruptions continued in parts of Mississippi, including Jackson, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Hattiesburg, Gulfport, and Brookhaven, said BellSouth, which dispatched helicopters to conduct aerial surveys. More than 100 Cingular crews are working with 500 power generators and 240,000 gallons of fuel to restore communication.

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Further rebuilding will hinge in part on getting the go-ahead from federal and state authorities to reenter key areas. "We just have to wait and see how commercial power restoration and flooding go," says Cingular spokesman Clay Owens. "We want to get in there and start restoring the service, but we're limited in what we can do."

More storms to come?
A spokesman for Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 carrier, says "service is improving in surrounding areas near New Orleans." There are still disruptions in Mississippi and around New Orleans. The company has rolled out cells on wheels, used to temporarily restore service. It has also brought in technicians from around the country to do surveys and repairs in the disaster areas.

As BellSouth surveys Katrina's physical damage, it's also tabulating the financial cost. While the outfit hasn't yet released its own figure, CIBC World Markets estimates Katrina will cost BellSouth about $300 million in restoration services and equipment, plus $150 million in forgone revenue.

Verizon Communications, the largest U.S. local-telephone company, says it's poised to lend a hand to BellSouth's efforts. The companies have been involved in informal talks. As soon as Verizon receives a formal request, probably some time next week, it will jump in. "We'll be doing what we can," says a Verizon spokesperson. "We're standing at the ready."

And as Katrina marks only the beginning of what the National Hurricane Center says may grow into a worse-than-normal hurricane season, so is the rest of the region.

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