Dive Summary:
- When Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast in late October, utilities such as Con Ed and Connecticut Light & Power saw their mobile traffic jump by as much as 16,000% as consumers sought to stay up-to-date on power outage developments.
- Carin Van Vuuren, marketing chief at Usablenet, states that customers will use their smartphones during emergencies "to access real time critical information easily and quickly".
From the article:
"When Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast earlier this month and left many without power, those affected turned to their smartphones to access the mobile web and get information about when electricity would be restored.
According to mobile website platform Usablenet, smartphone traffic to utility company websites such as Con Edison and Connecticut Light & Power, increased by as much as 16,000% during and after the storm. ..."