Cell phones: text beats talk on Inauguration Day

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Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Going to the inauguration next month? Planning to send a photo from your cell phone to your friends back home at the moment Barack Obama takes the oath of office?

The nation's wireless providers hope you'll reconsider.

Providers are boosting capacity in and around the National Mall to try to meet the demand of a crowd that is expected to exceed 1 million and may be much higher. But the industry warns that some dropped calls and delayed transmissions will be inevitable.

"If 4 million people show up on the Mall, absolutely expect delays," said Joseph E. Farren, a spokesman for CTIA, which represents the wireless industry.

Sprint said Tuesday that it plans to increase wireless capacity by 40 percent for cellular service and 90 percent for its walkie-talkie like feature. T-Mobile's preparations exceed those of any single-day event in the company's history, according to company spokesman Peter Dobrow.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INAUGURATION_WIRELESS?SITE=VASTR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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You would have thought that they would have already been all over this like stink on shit. I am waiting for someone to say that their cell phone company is going to charge them an "Inauguration fee" to cover the cost.

[high density]

1. I'm surprised they're doing anything at all

I don't really expect companies to expand capacity for one-day's worth of craziness.

[Massacure]

6. Dont most carriers have mobile trucks with communication gear? n/t

[rosesaylavee]

2. Remember back in the day when cameras would have been used?

What the heck. Can you imagine showing up at that, having spent the bucks to get there, to stay there and purchased tickets, etc. AND NOT BRING A CAMERA?

Yeesh.

[truedelphi]

3. Cell phones caused mucho ego problems here at our house election nite

M. sent a small donation to Obama over the weekend.

We were checking emails and watching election coverage on TV. As Obama was taking the stage, M said, "Look at that! He is still texting."

Then he checked his email, and there was a message from O saying, "Thank You, M! Without you, I could have never been elected."
So now he wanders the hallways of the house, waiting for the news that he has been made some sort of assistant to the assistant to the Chief of Staff.

And when he is off in Washington, I'll be here guarding the hearth and feeding them cats.

[truthisfreedom]

4. Cell networks are useless during major catastrophes, major events, and usually fuck up during rush

hour. They're built to be used in very predictable ways by a very limited number of people. They're not very robust.

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5. Do Bushco have the power to...

Does the POTUS have the power to declare an "electronic" state of emergency if the network is threatened for National Security purposes? Just curious.