For those planning a trip to DC for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, chances are you’re already hearing tales of the crowds and transportation woes that are predicted for the city on Jan. 20. But today, the Washington Post highlighted another potential limit to modern convenience during the event: cell phone service.
Wireless carriers expect an explosion in cellular traffic during the inauguration. So many calls and text messages at the same time could choke communication networks and result in delayed messages and dropped calls.
Carriers are building extra cell sites to boost capacity, and two local companies are urging inauguration-goers to use text messaging rather than phone calls to communicate. Texts use less bandwidth and are more likely than phone calls to successfully reach recipients during such heightened activity.