By GottaLaff
The cell systems around the National Mall will be overloaded if the expected record crowds actually materialize, according to a spokesman for CTIA, the association representing wireless carriers. All those phone calls, texts, picture and video messages will hit a log jam.
"It'll be like everyone leaving the beach at the same time after the Fourth of July," said Joe Farren. "All roads will come to a standstill." [...]
Sprint and Verizon are two wireless carriers in the D.C.-metro area spending millions of dollars to add capacity to their cell sites ahead of Obama's inauguration.
To handle the increased traffic, Sprint is planning to deploy resources usually reserved for hurricanes: COWs and COLTs.
The acronyms stand for Cell On Wheels and Cell On Light Truck. The vehicles use satellite and microwave technology and act as mobile cell towers. They are typically deployed to disaster sites when towers get knocked out.
For the inauguration, Sprint says it will increase calling capacity. A COLT will be able to handle about 1,500 extra callers, though only 60 calls can go through simultaneously.
On Tuesday, Sprint technicians added 30 percent more capacity to one site on top of the World Health Organization building in downtown Washington.
A major security concern for the event is the crush of first responders, dignitaries and police who depend on their mobile phones. [...] Sprint says there is no need to panic -- calls and messages will still go through, eventually. A spokesman recommended that revelers text rather than call, because texts use less data and will get through quicker. Another alternative is to use pay phones or other land lines.
Wait. There are still pay phones?
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