Ida spurs calls to bolster mobile networks after phones fail

Hurricane Ida knocked out mobile networks as it struck New Orleans, driving calls for greater network resiliency in the face of natural disasters. — Getty Images/AFP

As Hurricane Ida pummelled New Orleans, officials told residents needing help to flag down a police officer or go to a fire station. The city’s 911 emergency calling service, served by AT&T Inc., wasn’t working.

The failure, rectified by Monday afternoon, is helping to fuel calls for Washington regulators to demand greater resiliency for mobile phone networks in the face of storms, fires and other natural disasters.