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?