T-Mobile Offers Relief for Hurricane Victims 299
lilrowdy18 writes "Eweek reports that T-Mobile is offering free Wi-Fi to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. This relief will be free until Sept 2 and an evaluation will be done to see if it will continue after that. The hot spots are only available to residents of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi and does not include phone service. The article also includes a link to a map of T-Mobile hotspots. At least we can use some form of communication to get in touch with loved ones."
Only 3 days?? (Score:5, Insightful)
That doesn't make any sense. Why would you only do it for 3 days and then "evaluate" whether you'll charge or not. Why in the world wouldn't you offer it for at least a week or two before evaluating? So if you are stuck in the disaster area and want to get a hold of someone that way, you've only got until Friday. After that you are out of luck or you might have to pay.
I think it's good they are helping out, but that's almost a cheap way to get some good press.
If you are a company like that and you really want to help, then go in whole-heartedly.
Whew! (Score:3, Insightful)
So, exactly how does someone without power get a computer working? Are they really that hard up for porn?
Hey T-mo! Stop pushing your products and instead give something that could really help. Like phone service so people can call loved ones, or cold hard cash to help bring relief.
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:5, Insightful)
Great, Free WIFI! (Score:2, Insightful)
Actually this is a clever PR stunt by T-Mobile, it is not like anyone actually has electricity to use these hotspots.
These victims need water, food, clothing and shelter. And of course money to rebuild, why not donate a couple days of revenue instead of free WIFI?
its like saying.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:OT: Good news (Score:4, Insightful)
> in the city so no more water should flow
> into the city, except at high tide.
Yup, but looks like that's only because the water levels have equalized, not because the levee breaks have been plugged. Argh.
How about providing some real communications (Score:4, Insightful)
A couple of trucks with personnel, generators, multiple GPRS data connections, computers and a dozen cell phones - might cost $50-60,000 (being generous). Far less than one television ad with what's-her-name, and would actually be of some use to those in Louisiana.
Oh yeah, bring some bottled water with you.
This is what t-mobile has (Score:5, Insightful)
I'll agree that perhaps this isn't going to be the most realistically useful thing ever. But at least they are doing something.
Yes, free cell phone service would have possibly been something that t-mobile has which would be even more useful, but there are practical barriers there. That is, most people don't have cell phones which you can just reassign to a different cell phone carrier at will, and even with phones with such features most people don't know how to use them. It seems likely either you're an existing t-mobile customer and can already use their network, or you're not easily going to be getting on their cell network anyway. Wifi may have a more limited utility than cell service, but there's fewer logistics involved in letting people use it.
In the meantime, if you or anyone else reading this is really concerned with being productive, something easy to do to help would maybe be instead of complaining on slashdot, take the time in the next couple of days to donate blood [nctimes.com]
Re:This is what t-mobile has (Score:3, Insightful)
If you really want to help, contact your local Red Cross or Salvation Army about how you can best make a donation.
Oh, and you should donate blood every 56 days, all year round - not just when there is some major catastrophe.
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:OT: Good news (Score:5, Insightful)
Building a barrier in standing water is a lot easier than building one in rushing water.
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:3, Insightful)
Why don't they offer free service to their customers in afffected ZIP codes for a month?
Why don' they donate some time andd money to the Red Cross?
For fuck's sake, most people who survived this don't have power, and may have gotten away with a laptop.
Thanks, Slashdot, for amplifying T-Mobile's limp-wristed PR move. Maybe they'll breate a breath for New Orleanians next!
Relief my a$$..... (Score:2, Insightful)
Relief is what you experience when you get something you badly needed.
Relief is what you feel when your pain is removed or reduced.
Getting free WIFI access in a few limited locations where there is no freaking power to charge a laptop (or probably even run the hotspot) is not relief, it is a PR move.
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:4, Insightful)
Why don't you think it makes sense to evaluate it after 3 days? That doesn't mean they'll turn it off or start charging money, it means they'll look at it to see what's going on - are people actually using the free service? If not, why not? If so, are they using it to communicate with loved ones, or downloading porn?
Hopefully their review in 3 days will show that people are using the service the way it was intended, and they'll decide to continue the program.
As others have pointed out, people need food and water... but T-Mobile doesn't have food and water on hand. They have this, so they're giving this.
Re:Cingular Opens Free Calling Stations (Score:3, Insightful)
T-Mobile, take a look at Cingular; they're putting you to shame. All people want to do is to tell their loved ones that they are alright. The Internet may have that capacity (if they can find their loved ones), but is a terrible medium in which to have to search, or email and hope. Phone calls will always be better in that respect.
I'm glad to hear my phone company's doing some good for a change. Money well spent I hope.
Re:This is what t-mobile has (Score:4, Insightful)
Meh. (Score:3, Insightful)
But T-Mobile is not an energy company, or a grocery store chain, or Goodwill. They are a telecommunications company, and that's what they know. Just like I'm a geek. If I were a company, I'd be doing exactly the same thing: doing what I can to help out. I wouldn't be flying helicopters, I'd be setting up communications. I have a bunch of computer hardware, not medical supplies. I wouldn't expect Motorola to jump in with Insulin, or Apple to show up at the stadium with 9k people stuck inside with fresh food -- and if they did, I bet the same shout would come up. "It's all a big PR stunt."
They're a company with a bunch of wireless access points in various cities. And now they're opening them up so you can email whoever and let them know you're okay (or look at pr0n, or troll Slashdot, or whatever).
And you're complaining about it.
I bet if their cellular network could handle it, they'd open that up, too.
(FD: I'm a T-Mobile customer.)
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:2, Insightful)
[rest of bitch whine moan... snipped]
And what are you doing for the victims of Katrina?
Just curious.
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:5, Insightful)
Free hotspots may not be common in most areas of rural southern MS, but chances are that any area yuppified enough to have a T-Mobile hotspot probably also has free hotspots nearby.
In fact, just last night as I was walking around my neighborhood in Denver, I came across a freakin' laundromat advertising free wi-fi [davidsimmons.com]! I had to take a picture. :)
Free advertising (Score:2, Insightful)
Cell providers (like Sprint for one) and other companies have in place mechanisms for providing account credit to allow for cost-free service for any disaster situation. The difference is they don't require wide-spread recognition for their contribution.
Okay, I said it. Open up the black clouds and clobber me with lightening (or high winds & rain?).
---
"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." Oscar Wilde
Re:Only 3 days?? (Score:4, Insightful)
Priceless.
You're mad at me because you didn't like someone criticizing you for not doing enough to help the victims of Katrina, when in fact you are doing something.
Sound familiar? [slashdot.org]
There are thousands dead.... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm not saying this is ANYWHERE near as bad as the 04 Tsunami, but it is pretty bad for America (where nothing ever goes wrong, right?), and it'll only get worse. Just wait for the intestinal diseases to start hitting these poor folks.
I've made my Red Cross donation, I recommend you all do so as well.
Re:Logistics, management and coordination... (Score:5, Insightful)
Check out a bit about our history in conflicts here: http://www.1800goguard.com/whatistheguard/whatis_
Try moving thousands of people, from a branch that was never designed to be mobile far beyond state borders Read a bit about our federal mission, if interested, here: http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/protecting_our_
then figure out which state national guards have experience/training with water rescue then coordinate the efforts of all of those remaining with no clear high level chain of command. This would take about 5 minutes. The Army is not inept, as is the common misconception. The commanders know exactly who is trained to do what...
As far as leadership:
(I'm pretty sure theres no General of the National Guard.)
see this link for structure: http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/organization/ [army.mil]
Director of the Army National Guard, Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn
Brigadier General Frank J. Grass Deputy Director of the Army National Guard, Brigadier General Frank J. Grass
Colonel Matthew L. Murphy Chief of Staff of the Army National Guard, Colonel Matthew L. Murphy
Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer Five Poyas Haynes
Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. John D. Gipe Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. John D. Gipe
http://www.arng.army.mil/Leaders/ [army.mil]
Re:Speaking of which... (Score:3, Insightful)
While I doubt that a douchebag like you gives a shit, I suggest you sit and think about the impact that the utter destruction of a city of 1.5 million has on those people. Whether its 1,000 or 50,000 or 250,000 people, its a disaster of biblical proportions.
Try setting your home on fire. See how minor of a problem it is to lose all of your possessions and your home.
Re:How about providing some real communications (Score:3, Insightful)
Depends on how much advance notice you have. If you're house is on fire and you need to get just the important stuff, you get people out first, then pets, and probably don't worry about belongings.
The people in the storm area had several hours to get out. Easily enough time to decide what to get. My laptop is certainly one of the items I would take. It's small, so it takes little room, and is tremendously valuable. Why wouldn't I take it?
Re:This is what t-mobile has (Score:3, Insightful)
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/cont ent.view/catid/2/cpid/48.htm [charitynavigator.org]
And yes, you are correct, the American United Way CEO does in fact make $400k a year. So does the American Red Cross CEO. However, the the CEO salary is 1% of the total United Way overhead expense, while only .01% of the Red Crosses.
I'm not sure what difference that makes, but this website does rate the United Way much lower than the Red Cross on their scale.
I don't know that it's fair to say that charitable organizations shouldn't compensate executive officers well. They are in charge of multi-gagillion dollar companies after all and if they're not paid a market level salary, they'll only be able to get below-market level quality people in the job.
Personally, I rate charities based on how much of their annual expeditures goes to charitable uses, and how much goes to administrative overhead.