Verizon offers phone charging and free calling for Sandy victims

Verizon Wireless says over 96 percent of its cell sites in impacted areas are operational and routing calls and text messages through as usual. It also deployed what it calls Wireless Emergency Communication Centers (WECCs) that offer charging stations, computer workspaces, and mobile phones with which you can reach out to family and friends. Those have been distributed in Staten Island, New York, Monmouth University, and at two separate locations in Toms River, New Jersey.

"Verizon has been able to reroute and restore critical services at several key facilities that were affected by the historic flooding and subsequent power outages on Monday night," a Verizon representative said. "Company engineers and technicians have returned several of these facilities to normal operations, and efforts continue to restore the remaining facilities."

The carrier said that it's busy making sure that service is restored to 100 percent of its customers. And the company has been deploying emergency network assets, including cell sites on wheels and mobile generators, to fortify its network.

Other wireless carriers have also sent emergency trucks into areas where their customers are without power and wireless service. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said yesterday that AT&T is sending satellite trucks and charging stations into New York City to help customers affected by the superstorm.

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