Jamie Barnett was quoted in a Bloomberg article on August 30, 2017, about how Hurricane Harvey has revived talks about backup power to cell towers so they work during large storms. A hardened network could allow providers to maintain wireless service so people can connect with family and emergency services in the wake of the storm’s aftermath.
In Texas, the system has held up well considering Harvey’s size and power, said Barnett. "It’s good to have a hardened network, and backup power makes sense,” Barnett said. “It’s one of those questions: Well, how much readiness is enough? Especially considering these are commercial carriers and they don’t get government subsidies for having backup power."