AMERICAN BROADBAND TELEPHONE COMPANY
OFFERS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK TIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Blair, NE – As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week activities, American Broadband Telecommunications Company is reminding their customers to be prepared for severe storms and offering helpful tips regarding keeping in communication with emergency personnel, neighbors or family.  The National Weather Service has announced that Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 6-10 in Nebraska.

“With the new types of telephone technology such as cordless phones and using computers for phone service, we want to remind customers that many of these types of telephones will not work if their electric power goes out,” said Joe Jetensky,  Director of Regulated Operations at American Broadband.  “Even though the landline is still functioning, people need a traditional corded phone that plugs into the phone jack in the wall to use the service.  Computers and cordless phones that need electricity to operate may not work if there is a power outage,” Jetensky said.

Nebraska’s telephone companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the years burying their cables to create the safest, most secure and reliable communications system possible.  Telecommunications companies have their own electrical power sources to put electricity through the phone line to make sure a person’s life-line to emergency personnel, doctors, neighbors, business associates and their family are still working,.

“With a lot of the new communications gadgets people have today, it’s important for people to know that the traditional ‘plug-in-the-wall’ phone is still an important safety feature.  We recommend people keep a traditional phone stored near a flashlight or other emergency preparedness kit that they may have in their home,” Jetensky said.