The FCC suspended its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and the mandated cooperation agreement among communications providers for Hurricane Helene. As of the last DIRS report on October 19, only nine counties in North Carolina and seven in Tennessee remained in the coverage area.
A total of 1.7 percent (down from 3 percent) of the cell sites in the affected area were out of service. In North Carolina, out of 901 cell sites, 20 were not working. At seven out of 83, McDowell had the most sites out of service.
In Tennessee, three out of 425 cell sites were not operational. At two out of 69, Cocke County had the most cell sites not operational.
Cable and wireline companies reported 23,236 (down from 26,989 last Friday) subscribers out of service in the disaster area. This includes the loss of telephone, television, and/or internet services.
One TV station in North Carolina was off the air. No television stations were reported to be off-air in Tennessee. No AMs and FMs were off the air in North Carolina and Tennessee.
The agency asked providers in the areas where the cooperation agreement was mandated to submit a report detailing the timing, duration, and effectiveness of those agreements by December 18 to: [email protected].
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
Reader Interactions