Not just a truck
NEW ORLEANS--If you passed it on the freeway, you might think this was an ordinary Verizon Wireless truck on its way to maintain equipment. Look a little closer, however, and you'll see this is a different kind of vehicle. Known as a COLT (cell on light truck), it's actually a fully contained cell site that can be driven to almost anywhere in the country in a matter of hours. Verizon can deploy one of its 100 COLTs to a disaster-stricken area to boost the carrier's network for residents and emergency workers. On either side of the cab are antennas that can reach 60 feet tall.
Be prepared
Hans Leutdenegger, Verizon's regional vice president of network, described the carrier's initiatives for disaster preparedness. And in a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago, he reminded us that the 2012 hurricane season begins June 1.
Come in
You enter the COLT through a door on the driver's side.
Keeping it cool
Two air-conditioning units keep the inside comfortable cool. Indeed, it felt great on a humid New Orleans day.
Linking up
The equipment immediately inside the door is used to establish a link between the COLT and Verizon's network.
Wires everywhere
Even in a wireless world, it takes a lot of wires to power the network.
4G LTE
This locked cabinet houses the needed equipment for powering the carrier's 4G LTE network.
4G LTE
Here's a look inside the door.
Voice and 3G
In the next cabinet you'll find the equipment for the 2G voice and 3G EV-DO data networks.
Staying on
For power, the COLT has 18 batteries (pictured here) and a generator that can last three days.
Cables
Thick cables connect the batteries and generators to the network equipment.
Drive time
The cab seats two people, but only one person is needed to operate the COLT.
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