Interview in New Orleans Times-Picayune

Interest in the petition Jeff Pulver and I filed with the FCC has picked up with the release of a survey by at&t showing that the technology Gulf Coast residents most want in a disaster is voicemail.  Yesterday Bruce Albert of the New Orleans Times-Picayune interviewed me on the petition which, if granted, would require carriers to make voicemail available to all residents during an emergency like Katrina. The resulting story is here.

The interview also covers my concern over a part of at&t's statement opposing our petition in which they say that voicemail - which they have just said is what people most depend on - might not work in a disaster.  BellSouth, which at&t is seeking permission to acquire,  said the same thing.  Terrible engineering if true and needs fixing.

It would be nice if at&t would read its own survey and take reasonable action.  But maybe the survey'll help get the FCC to take action.