Usually, when we’re talking about the major US carriers in a scope beyond that of just what phones they’re getting soon, it’s about who’s trying to buy out whom, who wants more spectrum, or who’s planning to raise rates and decrease its level of service. As such, it’s easy to grow a bit pessimistic about these companies. That’s not always a reputation that’s deserved, however, as occasionally we get brief flashes of hope through news like that which we’re receiving this afternoon, upon T-Mobile and AT&T banding together to help victims of Hurricane Sandy remain in touch.

With all the service outages in areas struck by the storm, the two carriers have announced that they’re opening up their networks to each other in New Jersey and New York. Users from either carrier will be able to have their calls routed through the other’s network, with no extra roaming fees.

This covers both voice and 3G services, but with limited hardware support for each other’s 3G bands, it might be voice service that benefits the most from this situation.

Considering how much of the area is still without power, this gesture could go a long way towards helping residents feel like they’re still connected with the outside world.

Source: AT&T, T-Mobile
Via: Engadget