We are just hours away from the historical inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States, and wireless companies will have a hard time dealing with an enormous pressure from cell phone users.
The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association warned about the record-breaking crowds expected to be present at the event. Companies are going to extraordinary lengths investing significant amounts of time and money, and are doing everything within their power to boost network capacities in Washington, D.C. for this historic event, Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA – The Wireless Association, said in a statement.
The public has also been reminded that the event will likely generate congestion and communication delays despite industry efforts to enhance capacity. Think of a wireless network like a highway. Even though we’re building more lanes, if millions of people jump on the road at the same time, there could be a traffic jam, Largent further explained.
Wireless companies have been working on adding new radio channels, but also additional portable sites, such as COWS (Cells of Wheels) and COLTS (Cells of Light Trucks) to increase network capacity. Furthermore, they’ve also expanded in-building wireless coverage throughout Washington D.C., CTIA informs.
In addition to that, mobile operators have been working on expanding backhaul capacity and connections with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for maximum capacity.
Cell phone users have been advised to choose text messages instead of talking, since they are more likely to go through a congested network than voice calls. Furthermore, they’ve also been advised to send inauguration photos via mobile networks after the inauguration is over.
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States is expected to draw unprecedented crowds to Washington D.C. But at this point, no one really knows exactly what number we’re talking about, so mobile operators are somewhat in the dark with their estimations.
Sprint Nextel said it is well prepared for the inauguration. According to the company, they’ve been preparing since April last year for the event, and have since increased their Nationwide Sprint Network capacity by 40 percent and their Nextel National Network capacity by 90 percent in key locations throughout the Washington D.C. area.
Sprint has a record of providing services during overcrowded events, such as past Presidential inaugurations, political conventions, NASCAR events, and even natural disasters, and there’s no reason why Sprint would not perform well on Inauguration day, Bill Toth, vice president of Network for Sprint in the Northeast region, explained in a statement.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T have also said they are prepared for the event and surge in demand. The two service providers have significantly increased the capacity of their networks by approximately 60 percent, but even so, people could still be experiencing delays.
