Fires on Maui destroy telecommunications equipment, adding to emergency

Cell towers and other telecommunications  equipment have been destroyed in the wildfires burning on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Similarly, the electric grid suffered outages, and telecom equipment also relies on the grid. The lack of telecom service has made things worse for people calling for help and evacuation. Justen Burdette, CEO of Mobi, a Hawaiian wireless provider said, “The devastation in Lāhainā is just incomprehensible. So many folks have lost their homes, their small businesses—but to lose an entire community?  And I can't even begin to comprehend the loss of life—the heartbreak the Maui ʻohana are going through today is just unimaginable.” In terms of the telecom infrastructure, Burdette said, “The fires are still burning on Maui and in spots on Hawaii island, and obviously our colleagues at T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, HawaiianTel, and Spectrum are working to restore connectivity in some incredibly challenging conditions.