Cingular restoring service in Gulf Coast

Cingular Wireless is getting its cell-phone service back to normal in many areas that were pounded by Hurricane Katrina, including New Orleans.

Cingular reported late Thursday it had crews in New Orleans who were getting infrastructure back together enough that some calls have been able to be placed inside the still-flooded city.

Service is also coming back to normal in many areas of Alabama and Mississippi, with reduced levels in those communities not back up to full power.

Cingular has also made sure that more than 1,500 wireless phones were provided to evacuees newly arrived in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The phones, part of the area's "Project Brotherly Love" effort, have free calling service to emergency agencies back home.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International