Alltel Wireless works to restore wireless service to Gulf Coast

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Alltel Wireless has made significant progress this week restoring communications service in hurricane-battered areas of the Gulf Coast. The company also is assisting affected customers with free minutes and unlimited text messaging.


“Many of our customers along the Gulf Coast suffered a significant blow from Hurricane Gustav,” said Joanna Miller, Alltel’s vice president of business solutions for Louisiana and Mississippi. “We all know the communities of the Gulf Coast are resilient, and Alltel wants to help our neighbors as they work through the recovery process.”


Alltel is encouraging all of its customers to send $5 donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by sending a text message from their mobile phones. A customer simply types the keyword GIVE to 2HELP (24357). A confirmation message will arrive within a few minutes, and the customer then replies YES to confirm his or her donation. Standard text messaging rates will apply.
Text donations can be made through Oct. 31, 2008. All donations are tax deductible and will appear on customers’ monthly bills.


Alltel also is adding 1,000 free nationwide minutes as well as unlimited text messaging to customers’ accounts from areas where mandatory evacuations were ordered in preparation for Gustav. The 1,000 free minutes and unlimited texting will be given to consumer and business customers for use from Aug. 29 to Sept. 12.


Alltel will automatically add 1,000 free nationwide minutes to all consumer and business customers’ accounts with billing addresses in the evacuated parishes and counties. In Louisiana, the parishes are: Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion and Washington. In Mississippi, the counties are: Hancock, Harrison and Jackson. Baldwin County in Alabama also is included.


Meanwhile, Alltel’s Hurricane Recovery Team is making significant progress restoring wireless service and reopening retail stores. Service has largely been restored in the greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge metropolitan areas. Customers may on rare occasions encounter difficulty placing or receiving calls due to high call volumes.


Cell service in Jackson, Miss., and Shreveport and Monroe, La., has been completely restored.


More than 30 of Alltel’s retail locations were forced to close by Gustav. Most have reopened. Here’s a complete list of Alltel stores that are now open for business or scheduled to open by Monday:


OPEN FOR BUSINESS:

* 808 N. Highway 190, Suite B, in Covington, La.; 1302 Corporate Square in Slidell, La.; 3601 N. Blvd. in Alexandria, La.; 1113 S. Range Ave. in Denham Springs, La.; 9429-A Three Rivers Rd. in Gulfport, Miss.; 1401 Armand Drive, Suite A, in Picayune, Miss.; the Circuit City location at 1000 Turtle Creek Dr. in Hattiesburg, Miss.; 6440 Highway 98 West in Hattiesburg, Miss.; 1000 Turtle Creek Dr. in Hattiesburg, Miss.; 1315 Highway 15 in Laurel, Miss.; 442 Winter St., Suite A, in Lucedale, Miss.; 27900 Main St. in Daphne, Ala.; 669 S. McKenzie in Foley, Ala.; 171 East I-65 Service Rd. South, in Mobile, Ala.; 705 Highway 43 South in Saraland, Ala.; 740 S. Schillinger Rd. in Mobile, Ala.; 10859 Highway 98 in Destin, Fla.; 101 Bluefish Dr., Suite 140 in Panama City Beach, Fla.; 2503 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Panama City, Fla.; 1630 Airport Blvd. in Pensacola, Fla.; 5090 U.S. Highway 90 in Pace, Fla.; 4600 Mobile Highway in Pensacola, Fla., and 2146 W. Nine Mile Rd. in Pensacola, Fla.


SCHEDULED OPENINGS

* 1818 Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey, La. (Saturday); 11445 Coursey Blvd., Suite N, in Baton Rouge, La. (Saturday); 7415 Corporate Blvd. in Baton Rouge, La.(Saturday); 2701 N. Causeway Blvd. in Metairie, La. (Saturday); 1000 W. Esplanade St.,101-D, Kenner, La. (Saturday) ; and 1043 W. Tunnel Blvd. in Houma, La. (Monday).