The Channel Wire

January 20, 2009

Making a phone call or sending a text message during President Barack Obama's inauguration wasn't as difficult as wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless expected. Even though hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in front of the Capitol and Washington Monument Tuesday, reports indicate that cell phone reception wasn't as bad as expected.

Of course, that doesn't mean that every placed call went through with crystal-clear clarity. Or that some text messages weren't delayed before finally being delivered to recipients.

Anyone who has tried to place a phone call during high-activity times knows that sometimes the wait for the call to get through can be frustrating. But condense about 2 million people into Washington D.C., and that frustration can reach new levels. Add to that the proliferation of smartphones like BlackBerrys and iPhones to the mix, all trying to call, text and transmit data, and something like the perfect storm of cell phone gridlock begins to take shape.

But to their credit, some wireless companies anticipated the huge spike in cell phone use and took appropriate measures to make sure that not everyone was left without bars.

Carrier companies brought in "cell towers on wheels" and "cell towers on light trucks" to help alleviate the congestion and increase capacity along the parade route, according to the CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry.

The CTIA advised people to avoid sending pictures via cell phone and putting strains on the data network.

"For this reason, we want to remind Inaugural event attendees to do their part in decreasing network demand by texting instead of placing voice calls, and holding off on sending cell phone pictures or video until after the events are over," said Steve Largent, president and CEO of the CTIA, in a statement.