CTIA Asks Inauguration Attendees to Text and Wait to Send Photos

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barackhandonphone.jpgThe stress on cell phone networks form the millions of people attending the presidential inauguration is expected to cause dropped calls, delayed text messages and data loads.

"If some of these estimates come true, people should anticipate delays
with regards to sending text messages or making phone calls or getting
onto the Internet," said Joe Farren, spokesman for the CTIA .

"If there are 4 million people on the mall streaming video, sending pictures, or calling, there could be congestion," said Farren.

CTIA has asked people to send text messages instead of making phone calls and to send photos only after the
event. Problems can occur because sending MMS or photographs takes up a lot of bandwidth. They also suggest that cell-users have a back-up plan. They suggest that visitors establish a rendezvous place and time to connect with your party, or try moving to an area where there is less congestion for better reception.

Verizon, Sprint and AT&T are deploying several mobile COWs (cells on wheels) and COLTs (and cells on light trucks.)

AT&T Mobility spent $4 million to
upgrade its networks. Along the parade route, it added 80 percent to the capacity of its 3G network and improved its
slower 2G network by 69 percent and increasing staff by 60 percent.

Sprint is offering a “Warm-Up & Charge-Up” with free coffee and pastries at Sprint’s retail location at 14th Street to ‘charge
up’ their cell phone so they don’t miss that ‘can’t miss’ picture,
text message or call.

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