Cell phone service takes a big hit in hurricane states

Both Verizon and Cingular are reminding customers that sending short text messages over the cell phone network uses fewer resources, and those messages are more likely to get through than phone calls during periods of reduced service.

In response to the disaster, T-Mobile USA Inc. in Bellevue, Wash., announced that it will provide free Wi-Fi access to mobile computer users in many of its 66 HotSpot locations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Sept. 2. The service will be offered in all HotSpot sites that have reopened after the storm, including sites in Borders Books and Music stores, FedEx Kinko's, Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels, Red Roof Inn motels and in American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways clubs and lounges.

The free service is intended for those who have been displaced from their homes or are seeking refuge from the hurricane, according to T-Mobile. A complete listing of T-Mobile HotSpot locations in these states is available at http://www.t-mobile.com/hotspot.